Photo by Tristan Tamayo/ INQUIRER.net
With Gilas Pilipinas easily disposing of Myanmar on Friday to open the 2017 Seaba Championship, Calvin Abueva said the 107-point winning margin should not make the team be overconfident the rest of the way.
“We’re facing the supposed weaker teams first, but we don’t underestimate them because every one of them is preparing hard,” Abueva said in Filipino.
“We can’t feel complacent because this will be our ticket to the Fiba Asia, so we need to not let this go and not put this into waste.”
READ: Gilas deals Myanmar 107-point thumping to open Seaba
Coming in as heavy favorites in the tournament, the energetic forward said that the focus for the Philippines is to follow coach Chot Reyes’ orders and “play the right way” regardless of the opponent.
“Some people say that what we’re doing is overkill. But that shouldn’t be the case. We’re just showing what our games are especially that we’re the hosts. Playing here gives us motivation and joy, and what we want is to play at our best for the fans’ support,” he said.
READ: Reyes: Gilas played game ‘the right way’ in 107-point win over Myanmar
The Alaska Aces star finished with a game-best 22 points, six rebounds, five steals, and four assists to lead the way for Gilas.
Abueva knows the competition gets tough as Gilas will be facing stronger regional rivals with Singapore next on its schedule slated Saturday.
That’s why Abueva reminded the team to have the right mindset and continue giving the kind of effort it showed in the its opening day blowout
“We have to be more focused and double the effort in our next games. We always remember that we have roles in this team and the only way we’ll accomplish the goals we set will be through our teamwork,” he said.