Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Even Star coach Jason Webb admitted he felt his team just wasn’t in it against San Miguel on Sunday.
“We didn’t deserve to win today,” he said after the Hotshots’ 109-100 defeat. “We came out there like we were playing back-to-backs. No energy.”
Veteran swingman James Yap offered little explanation as he was somewhat at a loss for words.
“Di ko na rin alam.”
But Webb would rather like to look at it at a positive light.
“I always want to look at the good about it. We made a game out of it, but if you dig yourself a hole as bad as we dug ourselves in, sometimes, hindi ka talaga makakalabas sa butas na yun. We can’t allow that (sluggish start) to happen,” he said.
The Beermen dominated the first half and held a 20-point lead, 65-45 early in the third, before a furious fightback from the Hotshots got them within five midway in the fourth.
Still, it wasn’t enough as San Miguel found its second wind and cruised to its third win in four outings.
Though frustrated with the defeat, Webb isn’t the type to point fingers at his players.
Webb was asked why his import Marqus Blakely was held to another subpar performance and the young coach just offered a simple explanation.
“The imports and the teams are just too good right now.”
“Remember, Marqus Blakely was the benchmark a few years ago. Other teams, they’re telling their agents: ‘I want a guy better than Marqus Blakely.’ Now on our end, we’re hoping that Marqus is able to become a better player because yung mga kalaban namin, kumukuha sila ng mas magaling sa kanya o kay AZ (Reid),” he said.
Webb, though, made it clear that he wanted to have a better showing from his reinforcement.
“(Blakely) got a triple-double, but we were hoping na hindi turnover yung isa dun,” he said, after the former Best Import posted 15 points and 21 rebounds, but committed 10 turnovers. “I think he was the same as last game, that he didn’t really come out strong tapos in the second half, he was much better.
But we need 48 minutes of that. I play him 40 or so, so we need 40 minutes of that.”
Webb also clarified that he still hasn’t pondered on the idea of having an import change.
“This is a team. Unless there is a circumstance where we can say that this is the reason that we’re losing, first, we have to look at ourselves – coaches, other players –and we’ll decide from there,” he said.
“Faith will always be there in our players, from our first guy to the last guy, and we’re just hoping that guys will come up and play their best. As long as they’re trying, then we’ll be on their corner.”
If there’s one thing going Star’s way, it’s the schedule where the Hotshots gets a two-week layoff before going back into action, giving Webb and his players ample time to assess their problems and bounce back stronger in the coming games.
“We’re still going to play basketball. It doesn’t change. We just got to be better defensively. I thought we would be better defensively this conference, but we’re terrible,” he said.
For Yap, he wants his team to own up to its mistakes and work to get better.
“Wala na tayong magawa. Andyan na eh, so move on na lang and bounce back,” he said.