Gavina lashes out at Kia after poor showing in the 4th against TNT

FILE Photo by Tristan Tamayo/I QUIRER.net

ANTIPOLO CITY—Kia head coach Chris Gavina was far from pleased with how his team fizzled out in the fourth quarter en route to a 106-96 loss to TNT in the PBA Governors’ Cup at Ynares Sports Center here.

“It’s not been easy this past week,” said Gavina whose team is at the bottom of the standings with a 0-3 record. “The guys I had out there did not have the same look as the five players that I had in the third quarter that got us back in the game.”

“For me that’s hardly unacceptable.”

TNT had a 13-point lead, 77-64, late in the third quarter when the quintet of Reden Celda, Bong Galanza, Jackson Corpuz, Nico Elorde, Eric Camson made things a little interesting and mounted a 7-0 run to cut the deficit to 77-71 at the 1:57 mark.

The fourth quarter, however, was a far different story as the KaTropa regained control and held on until the final buzzer.

Kia essentially became a two-man show in the fourth with import Markeith Cummings and LA Revilla left to carry the Picanto on their shoulders.

“If I put you out there at the end of the game, I’m expecting you to make plays and be a big-time player,” said Gavina. “I told our guys that from now on, nobody’s entitled to any minutes, they have to earn it.”

“We got too many guys that feel entitled to things. And that was evident today, some guys just want to win more than others and that will to win doesn’t show in our whole group.”