JC Intal (Light / Barako Bull) vs Jireh Ibanez (Dark / RoS) PBA IMAGE / Nuki Sabio
MANILA, Philippines—If there’s one thing Barako Bull can take away from its 93-103 loss to Rain or Shine, it’s JC Intal’s breakout game with his new team.
Intal, who was acquired from San Mig Coffee, quietly put up a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds to go along with three steals and a block in a game-high 35 minutes Wednesday night.
“I had bad four games and I needed to bounce back today,” said Intal. “Coach Rajko requested us to play with our hearts out but we fell short. They started hitting their shots and we just have to bounce back against Ginebra on Sunday.”
Unfortunately for the Energy Cola, Intal’s production was not enough as they reeled to their fifth consecutive loss following a 2-0 start.
Despite Barako Bull’s struggles that put them closer to the cellar, Intal said the team remains optimistic with enough time to turn things around.
“We’re still positive we can get a win. We can’t relax in our practices, we still have five games left. We’re looking at our games against Air21 and GlobalPort.”