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TNT KATROPA head coach Jong Uichico knows Ginebra will be missing a key player when they square off Sunday. But he also knows it hardly matters.
Uichico’s KaTropa sit at the top seed with a 9-1 record and feels that Ginebra, at 8-2, can can claim the apex with the “win over the other” clause despite the absence of center Greg Slaughter.
“It’s sad it happened to him after a long operation, he just came back,” said Uichico Thursday at Inquirer’s live omni platform sports show, SportsIQ.
Slaughter sustained an ankle injury during the Gilas’ preparations for the Fiba OQT and his return on Sept. 9 led to a freak injury in what team officials said was an ACL tear.
Ginebra, Uichico said, is still a dangerous team especially under coach Tim Cone.
“Ginebra naman, even in the past, [all] coach Tim’s teams, [it’s] never [one player]; there’s always four or five, and you don’t know who to stop,” said Uichico.
Among those he expected to rise to the occasion was Scottie Thompson, who despite his size has what it takes to make up for Slaughter’s rebounding numbers.
“He plays hard,” said Uichico, citing Thompson. “I think he got 16 rebounds the last time. Timing lang at saka positioning, somehow andyan yung bola pag andyan sya.”
Uichico also said pace will be the key factor when both squads meet.
“Whoever controls the pace of the game will have the edge,” he said.