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    Goorjian vows Bay Area Dragons will 'hit back' in Game Two

    Dragons coach vows to give Kings a dose of own medicine
    Dec 27, 2022
    Brian Goorjian Bay Area Dragons coach
    PHOTO: Jerome Ascano

    WELCOME to the PBA Finals, Brian Goorjian and the Bay Area Dragons.

    Learning how games are played in a title duel, PBA style, the Dragons are looking to engage Barangay Ginebra in a more intense and physical Game 2 of the Commissioner’s Cup best-of-seven series on Wednesday night.

    Goorjian, the Dragon’s multi-titled international coach, vowed to dish off the same physicality his team had taken from the Kings in its 96-81 loss in the series opener on Christmas Day.

    “We’re going to bring a little bit something on Game 2, man. Fill that stadium. I want to hit back. We want to hit back,” said the Bay Area coach Tuesday, appearing as special guest in the SPIN.POV along with imports Andrew Nicholson and Myles Powell.

    [READ: Powell names the two Ginebra players that impress him most]

    “We want to do something special so the stage is set, so just fill up that stadium, and make something really special on Wednesday night.”

    But Goorjian doesn’t mean literally hitting back at the Kings. It’s more of adapting the same physical plays Barangay Ginebra were allowed to do in Game 1.

    “We’re not talking dirt. We’re just talking about using what everybody does. The referees, this is how the game is called, no problem. We want to learn and take what we can and can’t do,” expounded Goorjian, also the coach of the Australian men’s national team.

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      “You know, can you put an arm bar on the guy? Can you put two hands on him? Are you allowed to walk on his path and body check him? We played 12 games here and that wasn’t how we (were) played. But no one tried it.”

      The Kings did try, and the result had the Dragons being held to their lowest output this conference on a paltry 38 percent shooting from the field.

      Goorjian in particular commiserated with his 6-foot-10 import Nicholson, who was hounded all over the floor by Christian Standhardinger, who the Bay Area coach referred to as the Fil-German kid.

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      “Wherever Andrew went to run, he (Standhardinger) steps in front and body checked him. So if I’m running from the half court to the basket, even if he’s behind, he’ll run and get in front of him,” said the veteran coach of what Ginebra did to Nicholson in Game 1.

      “When he (Nicholson) went to grind down the floor, he (Standhardinger) popped him. You know, just step in front, body check. Step in front, body check, step in front, body check. And I hadn’t played against that before.”

      Brian Goorjian Bay Area Dragons

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      Nicholson did finish with 27 points and 12 rebounds on 10-of-17 shooting, but the defensive scheme obviously limited his touches.

      “If we’re going to win this thing, we got to give Andrew Nicholson some touches and be able to play off him,” said Goorjian.

      In contrast, Zhu Songwei, the talented 6-foot-9 forward of the Dragons, took the daunting task of guarding Ginebra resident import Justin Brownlee, and paid dearly for it after being whistled for three personal fouls with just five minutes gone in the game.

      “Brownlee ran wild,” Goorjian noted when Zhu had to sit out early due to foul trouble.

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      SEE ALSO

      The Gilas Pilipinas naturalized candidate ended up with 28 points, 13 rebounds, and six assists.

      “We didn’t guard him (Brownlee) like that. He was allowed freedom of movement,” said Goorjian. “It’s like the NBA in the 90s is a lot different than in 2020.”

      The Dragons are willing to test the water if only for them to keep in step with the Kings and make it an interesting series.

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      “The finals go up, the game changes, the intensity, the physicality of it changes, and will do what the rules are called,” Goorjian stressed.

      “It starts with the head of the dog, and the head of the dog is Brownlee. Our head is Nicholson, and they got the advantage there. We need to learn and bring in those tactics in Game 2.”

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      PHOTO: Jerome Ascano
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