Ferrer believes Tanduay ‘hungrier’ than Finals foe Phoenix
Helping Tanduay advance to its first ever championship series, Kevin Ferrer said that hunger will be its biggest motivation when faces Phoenix in the 2016 PBA D-League Foundation Cup Finals.
“Sa tingin ko, mas gutom kami. Last year, nag-champion na sila eh. Kami, first time lang makapasok dito. Yun ang magiging advantage namin,” he said.
Ferrer caught fire and teamed up with Gelo Alolino as they drained four straight treys to put away Racal in the fourth quarter of the Rhum Masters’ historic semifinals upset, 81-70 on Tuesday.
The former UST star said that if Tanduay will be able to sustain that all-out effort, a title won’t be too far off.
“Kung mag-play as a team ulit kami, hindi yun imposible,” he said. “Yun ang key sa amin kanina. Hinanap lang namin yung hot na teammate namin sa opensa, at sa depensa, stick lang sa 2-3 zone kaya napigilan naman namin yung fastbreak ng Racal.”
The Rhum Masters willingly shared the rock in Game 2, dishing out 19 assists that allowed them to shoot 15 three-pointers. They also had 50 bench points in the victory.
Ferrer said that boost from the whole team allowed Tanduay to exceed expectations, while also willing him to buck his shooting woes and deliver when it mattered the most for his team.
“Tumulong din ang mga teammates ko. Minsan, parang iniisip ko kailangan ko ng timing pero sila, ine-encourage lang ako to keep on shooting,” he said. “Sinasabihan lang nila ako na kailangan namin yung shooting ko kasi pag pumutok naman ako, magtutuloy-tuloy na yan.”
And Ferrer finally did, shooting 4-of-8 from rainbow country to wound up with 13 points, four rebounds, and three assists in the win.
But he knows that his job still isn’t over, and Tanduay will need a lot more from him and his teammates if it wants to stun Phoenix in the Finals.
“Magpe-prepare lang kami at gagawin yung best namin para manalo. Di naman kami titigil. Excited na kami makalaro sa Finals,” he said.
