March 26, 2019

Batang Pier, Aces in do-or-die tussle

IT MAY have been a pre-game pep talk given by NorthPort coach Pido Jarencio or his simple reminder about his players keeping the communication lines open during a game.

More likely, it's a combination of both that enabled the Batang Pier to stir out of their doldrums in the PBA Philippine Cup and stay in the hunt for a quarterfinals slot.

NorthPort must now pick up from where it left off when it tackles an equally desperate Alaska side Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The Aces want to end their eliminations stint with a win for seventh and sure inclusion among the eight teams advancing to the next round.

A loss would definitely drop Alaska out of the magic circle, quite a fall for a team that finished second in the last Governors Cup.

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The stakes are as high for NorthPort.

Despite a 109-83 thumping of previously streaking TNT last Sunday, the NorthPort remain deep in the woods as they not only need to win over Alaska but also against Barangay Ginebra next Wednesday to advance.

Jarencio simply wants his team to maintain its newfound focus, one that looked very hazy indeed during its six-game slide, but cleared up some by a speech he delivered before the KaTropa game.

"Sabi ko sa kanila, 'yung mga legends d'yan nakikita iyan," he related. "Alam mo na down ka na, down team mo, tapos bubuhayin mo, hanggang umabot pa hanggang itaas. Iyan ang sitwasyon namin ngayon. Sabi ko sa kanila, gawa tayo ng pangalan. Dito tayo mag-uumpisa.

"Iyung pride, pusong palaban lalabas ngayon iyan."

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Jarencio also put his finger on one crucial factor for the big turnaround against a TNT side that was on a five-game roll.

"The key is communication," stated Jarencio. "They were not talking, unlike now. Kasi na-set ko na iyan, opensa, depensa, for the whole conference, for the whole year. Iyan na ginagawa namin, adjustment na na lang konti (during the game).

"Kaya lang, pag hindi kayo nag-uusap sa loob, talagang malaking problema. Kinausap ko naman silang lahat, isa-isa, maging responsible, maging leader sa loob ng court.

Kaya iyan ang result, positive na positive. It's all about communication, para sa akin. Iyon ang medyo nahilot namin."

It also didn't hurt any that NorthPort shot 52.8 percent from the field, including 75 percent in the second quarter where it outscored TNT 31-15, to totally set the Batang Pier up for the wire-to-wire win.

Additional boost for the Batang Pier is the fact Stanley Pringle showed no ill effects of a sprained right ankle as he torched TNT for 27 points on top of nine boards. Mo Tautuaa has also been declared fit to play following a bad fall late in the KaTropa game. (NC)