A COMMANDING 2-0 lead in the Big Dance would make any coach giddy about his team’s chances but not San Miguel Beer tactician Jorge Gallent.
The Beermen are two wins within the Promised Land of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup against the Magnolia Hotshots–seemingly mowing down their foes.
Gallent, however, is bracing for a Magnolia fightback in Game 3, convinced the Hotshots are far from done.
“I always tell the players, it’s Magnolia’s energy. We just have to match their energy, and make sure they will not outwork us,” Gallent said. “This squad is very good. I love them all. They’re like my kids to me. But we’re not thinking of the (11-game winning streak).
“As of now we’ve won two games. That’s all. The rest is nothing. We’re really focused on this series. Game 2 is over, and let’s work on Game 3,” he added.
Gallent spoke after his wards bamboozled Magnolia 109-85 two nights back in the second game of the race-to-4 title battle in the season-opening tilt.
The third tiff is set tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, with SMB determined to push Magnolia on the brink.
With the likes of import Bennie Boatwright, reigning seven-time MVP June Mar Fajardo, CJ Perez, Marcio Lassiter, and Jericho Cruz taking turns in punishing the Hotshots, the Beermen are poised to score a sweet sweep of the finals–unless Magnolia strategist Chito Victolero can still pull off an ace up his sleeve.
“It’s nothing. 2-0 is nothing. We just achieved the 2-0 thing. We didn’t achieve what we still want to achieve,” Gallent said.
“We have two more games to focus on. A sweep is not even in our minds. Our thing is how to get four games before them.”
Gallent, who got involved in a word war with mercurial Magnolia forward Calvin Abueva in Game 2 where the latter mocked the former’s eye disability, just shrugged off the incident.
He lost his right eye in a motorcycle accident way back in 1988 which also ended his career at Far Eastern University.
“Ilibre ko raw ng steak and then, he said he wanted caldereta,” Gallent said on what Abueva told him on their bench that led to technical fouls given to both of them. He later admitted Abueva told him he is blind.
Boatwright notched a double-double of 34 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists, while CJ Perez chipped in 20 markers, six boards, and four dimes.
Fajardo also had 19 and 14, while Lassiter and Cruz combined for 21 points for SMB.
