Blakely rues lack of sense of urgency from Hotshots
Marqus Blakely. PBA IMAGES
Star didn’t play the way a desperate team should and it showed.
Import Marqus Blakely didn’t like what he saw from the Hotshots during a loss to the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in a game where they couldn’t afford to lose as they fight for a playoff spot in the 2015 PBA Governors’ Cup.
“Our energy wasn’t there when we started the game,” Blakely pointed out. “Mentally, they got under our skin. Strong teams don’t let that affect them and strong teams start their game out strong, finish the game out strong and defend for 48 minutes and we took spurts off, we took possessions off.”
The result was a 103-88 defeat, the Hotshots’ fifth in eight games that served more like a punch to the gut to keep them down the standings. If the quarterfinals started today, Star, whose Grand Slam feat during the 2013-14 season seemed like a distant past the way they’ve been struggling this conference, won’t make the cut.
“At this point, if we lose, the season’s over and reality has to set in with everybody,” said Blakely. “Each possession counts and every shot we take counts so we gotta pride ourselves on only being able to play with our last straw. If this one breaks then there’s not much room for us to make the playoffs. there’s not a lot.”
“Today, there was no time for mistakes or losses. Now our back is against the wall it’s gonna be tough just to even get a good seed even if we make the top eight. Today was our challenge and from the jump we didn’t come and meet it,” he added.
And reality isn’t a pleasant scene for Star with a pair of tough games ahead in Commissioner’s Cup champion Talk ‘N Text next on Tuesday and a meeting with the much-improved Barako Bull on Sunday before wrapping up its elimination round campaign against Blackwater on June 23.
Blakely is fully aware of the challenges ahead for the Hotshots and he sees those hurdles as opportunities for his team to redeem themselves and somehow squeeze their way into the playoffs where a veteran team like Star poses as a big threat to any team no matter how much of a struggle it’s in.
“It’s going to be tough but mentally we gotta stick together and it starts in practice,” said Blakely after 13 points, 10 rebounds and five turnovers in 35 minutes.
Star showed signs of life after winning two in a row against Kia and Ginebra before Rain or Shine ended its short streak. And that has really been the story of the Hotshots’ conference so far: they win a game then lose more.
A victory over the Tropang Texters will put the Hotshots in a position to make the playoffs but a loss to the Energy could send them crashing out of contention even if they beat the Elite.
Blakely remains hopeful.
“Something fixable. The hill is gonna be steep but I have no doubts that we can get there or at least give ourselves a chance to beat a team twice and move on but tonight we didn’t show up.” CFC
