BLACKWATER has been in a long, dark tunnel for quite a while now and there’s still no sign of a light, much less an end to it.
Coach Ariel Vanguardia admitted this before the injury-ravaged Bossing’s match against an Alaska side aching to snap out of its own punk today in the PBA Governors Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Sister teams Meralco and TNT collide in the nightcap, with each eyeing a second straight win.
The Alaska-Blackwater match pits two teams anxious to arrest their slide.
After a 2-0 start in the season-ending tournament, the Aces have lost back-to-back games and are now ready to do anything to get back on track.
Lessening its turnovers should prop Alaska’s bid as endgame miscues proved to be its downfall in its recent matches against Ginebra and TNT via 77-80 and 77-81 counts, respectively.
Blackwater’s woes are even more severe, having lost its first four games to stretch its league-worst winless streak to 23, a slump that started in October last year when coach Nash Racela was still at the helm.
Even the Bossing should help the Aces along in their plans should Vanguardia’s oft-repeated wish from his players are not granted.
“Madali ring mag-motivate ‘yung coach ng kalaban namin. Sabihin niya lang: ‘Huwag tayong papatalo diyan.’ So every time we get the lead or playing a good game, they’re on their toes agad,” Vanguardia said.
“It’s been the same old story over and over again. So we should just play our game and don’t worry about the standings,” added Vanguardia. “We preach that every day. Kasi nandu’n naman kami every game, kaya lang kapag nalalamangan na medyo na-da-down na agad.”
Vanguardia is adamant his team could have snapped out of its funk earlier had his lineup been complete.
Jayvee Casio (ankle), Baser Amer (calf), Andre Paras (knees), are listed as day-to-day while Joshua Torralba (partial MCL tear), Frank Golla (strained hamstring), Mike Ayonayon (fractured thumb), Kelly Nabong (bone spurs surgery) and David Semerad (knee) are all out for the conference.
“Nabago dynamics namin,” said Vanguardia. “Because of the injuries to Baser and Jayvee, napilitan kaming i-insert ‘yung mga backups into the role of first-stringers. Hindi naman sila sanay doon.”
Even Jaylen Bond now has to take on an unfamiliar role. “Nu’ng una, we have good guards who can score so we needed an import who can play center, rebound, play defense. Now we’re asking him (Bond) to score. Hindi iyun ang strength niya,” offered Vanguardia.
Not everything looks dire, however.
“Isang positive sign may mga ibang players na improving naman,” Vanguardia pointed out, referring to the likes of Barkley Ebona and Richard Escoto.
“May mga reserves din kami who played better than their first time when the starters went out, na mukhang nasanay na sila sa role na first-stringer sila, sina (Val Chauca) and (Juneric) Baloria,” added Vanguardia. “Sana mas sanay na sila sa minutes nila, hindi na sila nagugulat. Based on practices tingin ko mas ready na sila kaysa before.”
