DISAPPOINTING. Painful.
That was how Converge coach Franco Atienza described their ouster from the playoffs of the PBA 49th Season Commissioner’s Cup.
Converge was one win short of advancing to the semifinals for the first time after taking Game One in a very convincing manner. But the team failed to close out the series as Rain or Shine, won the next two games of their best-of-three quarterfinal series. The final nail was a 112-103 decision in sudden-death Game Three.
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The FiberXers had high hopes after finishing third in the eliminations with an 8-4 win-loss record, tying a franchise record it set in the 2022-23 Commissioner’s Cup.
“It was very disappointing,” Atienza said when SPIN.ph caught up with him outside the Ynares Center on Sunday. “Whenever you have a taste of something like that, parang nakaka-tungtong ka na ng semis, you even have one game on the front end of a best-of-three. Masakit talaga.”
“Give credit to the other team. Rain or Shine is a good team, has a good coach. I think we lost to a better team. But there’s no excuse. We have to be better. I have to be better. However painful it may sound, we will learn from this experience. And hopefully, kung ano man ‘yung matutunan namin, ma-carry over namin sa next [conference],” said Atienza.
After the loss, Atienza said there was funereal silence inside the locker room as the defeat sunk in among the players, coaches and staff.
“Masakit talaga. The dugout was quiet and everyone had their heads down. Masakit. I mean, we finished, one of our best finishes. We finished once at No. 2. Now, we are No. 3. One of the best performances sa eliminations. And then, you got booted out like that. But we understand na competition, it’s always the better team. Hats off to Rain or Shine,” said Atienza.
Atienza admitted they had no answer to the in-and-out attack of Rain or Shine led by Deon Thompson and Adrian Nocum.
“’Yung mga guards nila, sa loob din umiiskor. Mga guards tumitira, tapos siyempre they have their import, Thompson. So medyo mahirap magkaroon ng give eh pag ganun. Loob labas, at the same time, ‘yung mga guards, pumapasok din sa loob. Medyo wala kang give eh.
“Hindi mo kasi mai-stop naman lahat. You have to pick your poison. Just so happened, parang walang ma-pick na poison. Lahat ng poison deadly eh. Nag-click lahat sila. That’s why they’re a good team. That’s why they beat us,” said Atienza.
'We have to feel this pain'
Atienza previously said that Converge can't console itself with moral victories in its fifth quarterfinal appearance. But after another early exit, Atienza vowed that the team will be better from this experience.
“We have to feel this pain eh. Para magalit ka, para magkaroon ka ng inspiration. Kasi unless you feel the pain, unless you feel the hurt, siguro kapag nahihirapan ka na, kapag pagod ka na, it seems that nothing is going on correctly, doon ka kukuha ng inspiration. ‘Yung matatandaan mo, ‘Sakit nun, ayoko na maranasan ulit ‘yun.’ Doon ka kukuha ng inspiration na ganun.”
“Maybe, I’m hoping, hindi man namin alam ngayon, I’m hoping there’s a reason why we got booted out ngayon. Siguro to fuel us harder in the future, hopefully the near future, but for sure we’ll make another good run. We will try our best to make a good run come all-Filipino.
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“I think there’s a lot of good things na makukuha namin from this (Commissioner’s Cup). And for sure, kukunin namin ‘yun. At the same time, ‘yung mga kung saan kami nagkulang, we will find a way on how to correct those. And we’ll make a good run for sure.”
Atienza said the preparation for the Philippine Cup will begin in earnest.
“We will prepare. Siguro nga maaga nawala, may time ka mag-prepare, maybe that’s a good thing. But I don't mind going all the way ngayong Commissioner’s Cup (winning the title) tapos pupunta ng All-Filipino.
“But it is what it is. We will roll with the punches, ika nga. We will take it as it is. Like men, we will come back stronger,” said Atienza.
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