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Entering the semifinals for the first time since coach Tim Cone’s departure, Star is looking like a contender once again after last season’s disastrous run.
And Marc Pingris knows where to attribute the Hotshots’ turnaround.
“We’re in the semis because of our defense. We’re confident that we’re getting back to our old selves because of our defense.”
The Hotshots swept Phoenix in their best-of-3 quarterfinals tiff with another dominant 91-71 victory on Monday.
Pingris was instrumental in the victory, finishing with 16 points, nine rebounds, and three assists, but more than his statline, it’s really the squad’s defensive effort which allowed them to punch a ticket to the Final Four.
He couldn’t also help but note a lot of similarities with the way Star is playing now to that of their championship days under Cone, praising coach Chito Victolero for the system he put in place this conference.
“Coach Chito and coach Tim are defensive coaches and they have the same style. Coach Chito tells us that if we want to win, we have to defend,” he said. “It’s the same with coach Tim, who tells us that if we want to go to the Finals, we have to defend.”
The players are more than happy to oblige and the results speak for themselves as the Hotshots booked a semifinals spot for the first time since the 2015 Governors’ Cup.
“We’re happy to return to the semis. We deserved it because we worked hard for it. We’re hungry to return to the semis.”
However, Star’s defensive anchor said that the team shouldn’t be content with its achievement and should instead eye to build on the team’s six-game winning run. The Hotshots have been dominating during their streak, beating their opponents with a winning average of 27.8 points.
“We’re happy but we need a little bit more. We’ll be happier if we make it to the Finals. Maybe we still have to fix things because we have a lot to adjust,” Pingris said. “We have rookies here who were with just now. But if we’re willing to level up, we have to follow coach.”
Pingris shared that Star also isn’t worried about which its semifinals opponent whether it’s Ginebra or Alaska.
“They will be the ones to decide on who advances. It’s hard to choose because if you do, they might beat you. What we’re thinking is on how our defense will be.”