Black says TnT needs to play with 'real fire' to survive death match vs Ginebra

WHETHER they play each other 24 hours or 48 hours after, it still doesn’t make any difference for either Barangay Ginebra or Talk `N Text.

“I don’t think it will have much effect on the game as both teams are dealing with the same situation,” said Tropang Texters coach Norman Black after their sudden-death game with the Kings on Monday for the last quarterfinals berth in the PBA Governors Cup was postponed for a day.

The two teams were supposed to meet again a day after Talk `N Text's 113-99 win over Ginebra on Sunday night, until bad weather brought about by monsoon rain forced the league to move the game to Tuesday instead.

So instead of enjoying the win for about `an hour’ as Black and the Texters originally planned, they got the whole of Monday to savor what the Talk `N Text coach considered as the team’s most intense game in the season-ending conference.

“Last game was the first time we played with real fire this conference,” he admitted.



And for the Texters to do it again and prevent an end to their season, they need to double their effort, according to their coach.

“We have to duplicate that effort and times it by two if we want to beat Ginebra again,” he said.

Ginebra coach Ato Agustin, meanwhile, said the Kings will have to clamp down on Talk `N Text scorers, noting that six Texters finished in double figures led by the 26 of import Courtney Fells and the surprising 18 points off the bench by back-up big man Harvey Carey.

The Kings also failed to stop veteran guard Jimmy Alapag, who exploded for 15 points, including three successive three-pointers in a crucial stretch of the payoff period.

Agustin noted too, the Kings need more offensive contributions from import Dior Lowhorn. The wide-bodied American topscored for 31 points, but was held scoreless in the final quarter.

The winner of the do-or-die encounter at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum will face to-seeded team Petron Blaze in the quarterfinals.

Source: http://www.spin.ph/sports/basketball/news/black-says-tnt-needs-to-play-with-real-fire-to-survive-death-match-vs-ginebra