GABE Norwood said the pressure was on San Mig in Game Four - and he figures it will be the same in the winner-take-all match for the PBA Governors Cup championship on Wednesday.
Playing with a 'nothing-to-lose' mentality, Rain or Shine spoiled San Mig's grand slam party with an 88-79 win in Game Four on Monday night with Norwood playing his best game of the series by scoring 14 points on top of six rebounds and five assists.
“Actually, there was less pressure (for us in Game Four). It’s actually hard (for San Mig) to close the series than to just go out there and play,” Norwood said, noting that the grand slam-seeking Mixers have a lot more at stake in the series - and therefore carry more pressure.
“As long as we play hard, there’s nothing much to say. We’re in a hole, and we could have lost today, but we could have still held our heads high with the way we played tonight,” said Rain or Shine’s top defensive stopper.
With the series going to one final game on Wednesday, Norwood said images from the 2012 Governors Cup Finals between Rain or Shine and San Mig have been replaying on his mind as of late.
That Finals showdown saw the Elasto Painters beat Marqus Blakely and the Mixers in a Game Seven to win their maiden championship in franchise history.
Will it be deja vu on Wednesday? Norwood sure hopes so.
“It (Game Seven) replays in my head every once in a while,” said the former George Mason University standout. “I can only imagine the atmosphere, the competition (in Game Five). While some of the players may be different, but basically it’s just the same game.
“Hopefully, we come out with the same outcome.”
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