Phoenix head coach Ariel Vanguardia. Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Phoenix head coach Ariel Vanguardia took responsibility for his team’s embarrassing 123-79 loss to Star Saturday at Mall of Asia Arena.
“I take full responsibility on this loss,” said Vanguardia whose team slipped to a 2-2 record. “I think we over-prepared so whatever we did in our preparation didn’t work.”
Phoenix was riding the momentum of a two-game after it stunned defending champions San Miguel and held off Mahindra but the Fuel Masters ran into the defense of the Hotshots who are now on a two-game win streak.
Star limited Phoenix to a respectable 41 percent shooting from the field but forced the Fuel Masters to turn the ball over 23 times.
“This Star team is an elite team, it has a deep lineup, anybody can score, and anybody can kill us,” said Vanguardia. “That mindset, that sense of urgency, it wasn’t the same when we faced San Miguel so what happened was we got blownout.”
And just when things couldn’t get any worse, Phoenix’s deficit ballooned to 53, 119-66, after seldom-used point guard Mon Abundo hit back-to-back jumpers late in the fourth quarter.
Vanguardia said Phoenix “should be ashamed of” the beating it received.
“We should be ashamed of ourselves, we should be to our families, to those who support us,” said Vanguardia. “We didn’t give justice in wearing our uniforms tonight.”
“Everybody is disappointed but we’re going to rise from this debacle and come out a better team next game.”