Austria: We will be ready

Leo Austria. Photo by Randolph B. Leongson/ INQUIRER.net

San Miguel Beer, coming off a 14-day break coach Leo Austria said they weren’t able to use well, returns to PBA Commissioner’s Cup action against NLEX on Friday as the Beermen hope to touch off another winning streak for a top two position in the first round of the playoffs.

Tip off is at 4:15 p.m. at Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay with Austria ruing the fact that, because of the All-Star break and the Southeast Asian Basketball Association (Seaba) Championship, he and his Beermen weren’t able to put together productive practice sessions with key players participating in those events.

“We will be coming off a long break but we weren’t complete in those practices,” Austria told the Inquirer while on his way to Smart Araneta Coliseum to watch Gilas Pilipinas’ expected Seaba title-clinching win over Indonesia on Thursday.

“But we will be ready, as we have always been,” he said, even hinting that June Mar Fajardo, Gilas’ starting center, might suit up for the Beermen as they chase a twice-to-beat privilege accorded only to the top two finishers after the elimination round.

“Our agreement with him is that he can sit out one game,” Austria said of the 6-foot-10 Fajardo, the reigning three-time MVP who sat out against TNT KaTropa almost two weeks ago. “And he already took that [leave for Gilas Pilipinas duty].”

That game became the only blemish in the card of the Beermen—the loss that snapped a five-game winning streak.
Austria is also a little wary of the Road Warriors, whom he described as a side “that has nothing to lose and everything to gain” as coach Yeng Guiao puts his new nucleus to the test.

Alex Mallari, JR Quiñahan and Larry Fonacier, stars acquired from three teams via trades in the last two weeks, make their NLEX debuts.

Barangay Ginebra shoots for a sixth straight victory when it faces defending champion Rain or Shine at 7 p.m.