By REYNALD MAGALLON
Games Saturday
(Ynares Center Antipolo)
5:15 p.m. – Converge vs Blackwater
7:30 p.m. – San Miguel vs Phoenix
With no chance of reaching the twice-to-beat advantage, San Miguel is turning its focus instead on honing the killer instinct that has been significantly missing so far throughout their PBA Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup run.
And the Beermen plan to use their final game against the Phoenix Fuel Masters to do just that on Saturday, May 8 at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.
Raising the curtain in the opening game is the clash between also-run teams Blackwater and Converge hoping for a graceful exit at 5:15 p.m.
“Every game we want to develop the killer instinct dahik that’s the thing na nagbigay sa amin ng maraming championship,” said San Miguel head coach Leo Austria as the Beermen aim for a strong finish to the eliminations.
“It happens na maraming game kami na come from behind but this tournament it is a scary situation for us because every team is improving a lot,” he added.
Aside from the positioning in the standings, the contest doesn’t really have much to offer for the Beermen and the Fuel Masters although the two should agree that the momentum they could get from the match could go a long way in the playoffs.
For one, they will be needing all the help they could get if they wish to overcome a twice-to-win disadvantage in the playoffs.
“Kahit ano naman nasa 6,7, or 8 all we need to do naman is win. Kahit ikaw pag nasa top 4, all you need to do is win,” noted Austria.
But the Fuel Masters certainly cannot afford to enter the playoffs in the losing skid – all the more after suffering an upset loss to the already eliminated Macau.
Not only that the defeat dropped them in the standings but also it dashed away all their hopes of finishing in the Top 4.
And that’s exactly why the wards of head coach Charles Tiu should be on their best against the Beermen especially with main man Ricci Rivero still questionable due to a laceration on his hand.
