Victolero staying patient with testy Mitchell

Photo by Tristan Tamayo/ INQUIRER.net

For the second consecutive game, frustration got the better of Star import Tony Mitchell.

Though he still got his usual numbers on Sunday, the 25-year-old grew incessantly irritated of the San Miguel defense and fouled out before his team could even finish its late rally.

That was one of the main things coach Chito Victolero addressed after the Hotshots’ 103-97 defeat to the Beermen. Though Mitchell led the way with 22 points, 11 rebounds, and three blocks, Victolero said he should get his act together for the sake of the squad.

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“He must learn from that mistake and learn from that game. He has to improve because we need him, especially now that we have a lot of injuries. We badly need his presence and he needs to step up on both ends, especially on the offensive side,” he said.

Though Star is on a two-game losing slide after defeats to sister teams Ginebra and San Miguel, Victolero is keeping his faith on Mitchell.

“We fought two elite teams, and maybe, he just lacked in his preparation. We just have to talk to him and motivate him. We believe in him and we think he can step up and match the other imports. We just have to stay positive,” he said.

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At 4-2, Victolero could only stay positive as he seeks to get the Hotshots out of this muck on Saturday when they face Blackwater.

“We’re just positive because we played good. Though we weren’t able to finish with a win, we gave ourselves a chance,” he said. “This game is done. We have to focus on our next game, go doubly hard in practice so that we’ll have a better record before the All-Star break.”