Jojo Lastimosa wary of letdown as TNT battles Phoenix in PBA quarterfinals

TNT coach Jojo Lastimosa and the Tropang Giga bench. –PBA IMAGES

TNT will have all sorts of momentum when it tackles Phoenix Super LPG in the PBA Governors’ Cup quarterfinals on Wednesday.

But that’s exactly what’s giving interim coach Jojo Lastimosa anxious pregame moments.

“I’m wary of a letdown,” he told the Inquirer on the eve of the duel. “We’ve been playing well for weeks now and we might be due for a bad game.”

And even with the top-seeded Tropang Giga taking the court at 3 p.m. at Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City, protecting an eight-game winning streak, Lastimosa can’t shake off the wariness.

“Knowing how Phoenix can be really unpredictable, [I feel] this will be a difficult series,” he said.

TNT’s sizzling streak features the scalps of some very prominent heavyweights, like Magnolia, Meralco, San Miguel Beer and defending champion Barangay Ginebra. So it would really be a shame if that run goes kaput against a No. 8 Fuel Masters crew that managed to barge into the playoffs through some very fortunate circumstances.

Lastimosa can calm himself knowing that he has an able leader in two-way reinforcement Rondae Hollis-Jefferson.

“I’m looking forward to it—to being able to compete with the group of guys we have, the coaching staff—the whole lot,” he said. “It’s about locking in and staying focused.

“I feel like we do a phenomenal job from our coach all down to our trainers [and] equipment people and I feel like we’re all locked in.”

Meanwhile, Meralco is also looking to reassert its mastery over Magnolia and chart a short route to the Final Four in the two clubs’ tussle set at 5:45 p.m.

“It will be a tough task beating Magnolia, but we have prepared well and we are ready for the challenge,” Bolts coach Norman Black told the Inquirer. “It’s important that we handle their pressure defense well and limit our turnovers.”