No more fear as Malaysians step up in Blustar’s first win

PBA IMAGES.

Five games into Blustar Detergent’s foray in the PBA D-League, coach Goh Cheng Huat is ecstatic that his locals are finally matching up better against Filipino players.

“Now, they have gotten over the fear of facing the Filipino players. It’s a good sign because now, they won’t get beaten easily,” he said.

After a series of setbacks, the Dragons finally caught a breakthrough and rattled Topstar ZC Mindanao, 89-75,  on Thursday for their first win in the 2016 PBA D-League Foundation Cup.

Though Goh knows the addition of Juami Tiongson to the team has been the biggest difference, he also praised his Malaysian players for their efforts.

Wong Yi Hou dropped 19 points and seven rebound, while Kuek Tian Yuan, who has been a consistent contributor for Blustar, finished with game with 18 markers, 11 boards, and six assists.

“They are already adapting to the Filipino style of play. One of our main objectives coming here is to adapt to the style of play of the Filipinos that we are appreciating for a long time now,” Goh said.

Despite finally claiming that first victory, Goh wants his players to keep the hunger and continuously strive for improvement.

“We have to adjust to the games one step at a time. If we ever get a win the next time, it’s a good sign. It’s a good boost for our confidence,” he said. “Today, our locals did a good job on rebounding, but
Tiongson controlled the game for us.”

“We just have to stay that way, make the most of the opportunity, and for the players to keep on getting that style of play.”