NLEX coach Jimmy Alapag was visibly unhappy with the team’s lackadaisical performance against Titan Ultra in the first half as its campaign in the PBA 50th Season Governors’ Cup eliminations hits the homestretch and with the playoffs right around the corner.
The Road Warriors, with the best record in the league this conference, were in a tie with the Giant Risers, one of the worst, 65-65, at the half.
Alapag made his displeasure known during one of the timeouts in the first half, when the broadcast caught him telling his players to “don’t play with the game” during the huddle.
READ: NLEX cruises past Titan Ultra ahead of crucial face-off vs SMB
One can only speculate what Alapag said later during halftime, as Robert Bolick didn’t reveal what the NLEX coach said at the dugout, when asked in a TV interview about it.
“I’m very, very happy with our second half effort. I’m very unhappy with how we played in the first half,” Alapag said during the postgame press conference.
“Sabi ni Berto, I was not happy and I made that very clear to our team,” he continued.
A 37-14 third quarter allowed NLEX to pull away and pick up a 147-115 victory over Titan Ultra to stay in first place with a 9-2 win-loss record in Group A.
Alapag said he was upset since NLEX doesn’t not have the luxury to coast in the final stretch with powerhouse San Miguel as its final game of the eliminations and with the quarterfinals coming up.
Unlike in NLEX’s side of the tournament where the four teams are already known, only Magnolia has secured a quarterfinal spot in Group B with the next three spots still up for grabs between Rain or Shine, Phoenix Super LPG, Meralco, Barangay Ginebra, and Blackwater.
“I want our guys to understand that our playoff preparation and our playoff mindset begins now. Not October 24, 25 pag nag-start ‘yung quarterfinals," Alapag said.
"Our preparation and our mindset has to be in playoff mode kasi whatever team makes it to the quarterfinals of Group B, sobrang lakas ng kalaban namin."
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