BAY Area seems to have figured out how to beat Ginebra in the Big Dance and the seven-day break has just given the team and coach Brian Goorjian more time to plot their next move.
“Again, all of this is new to us than it is to them (Ginebra), and we have less experience,” Goorjian said. “So (after) two games, we can grow, and we really got the time to freshen up and make more adjustments.
“You gotta make that an advantage. I’m not playing too deep into the bench. We very much rely on (Andrew) Nicholson, and Nicholson played every minute until it’s over,” he added.
Goorjian spoke after his charges ripped the Kings 99-82 six days ago in Game 2 of their best-of-7 finals showdown for the PBA Commissioner’s Cup crown.
After reducing the series to a race-to-3 battle, Goorjian admitted the finals bring out the best in the combatants in their bid to win it all in the mid-season tourney.
“I’m loving the battle, and I keep using the word about this whole experience, it’s just respect,” Goorjian said. “It’s a really, really enjoyable tough game of good basketball.”
The pivotal third game is set tomorrow at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.
Import Andrew Nicholson spearheaded the Dragons’ attack with a double-double of 30 points and 15 rebounds, while Zhu Songwei chipped in 25 markers, five boards and six assists.
Hayden Blankley and Kobey Lam also had 17 and 11 points, respectively, as Bay Area rebounded from an 81-96 loss to Ginebra in Game 1 on Christmas Day.
The hulking 6-foot-10 Nicholson said the Dragons will not take their feet off the pedal.
“We’ll just keep the momentum, and we’ll just continue to practice. The series is not over yet. Five more games in the series left, and we’ll see what happens. It is what it is. You get what you get, and we’re not really focusing too much on that,” Nicholson said.
“We’re just focus on the game plan and translate what we’re doing in practice into the game.”
Reinforcement Justin Brownlee paced the Kings with 32 points, 11 caroms, and three dimes, but only Jaime Malonzo was able to score in double-digits among the locals with 10 points, on top of six rebounds and three feeds.
“I hope the fans like it. I know they want their team to win,” Goorjian said. “But I hope they’re enjoying the series because it’s pretty special so far.”
