FORGET the past, look to the future. It's the PBA playoffs. All eight teams in the quarterfinals are treating this as a whole new ball game, a battle for supremacy.
More so for Magnolia Chicken Timplados, the No. 1 seed, whose backs will be the target as they try to live up to their billing while looking forward to ending a PBA title drought.
It's been five years since Magnolia won the PBA Commissioner's Cup and the team obviously is eager to have another Champagne shower.
READ: Yeng roots for independent teams in PBA playoffs
It's hard to say if Magnolia coach Chito Victolero harbors a bit of apprehension in his opening quarterfinal match with TNT, a team with a glorious PBA past. Though seeded 8th, it would be foolish to treat the game as a walk in the park for Victolero and the Chicken Timplados who are hoping not to become TNT's lunchtime fare.
Victolero is aware of the game's import and is treating it as the beginning of a new season.
“Playoffs is a different season,” said Victolero on Monday. “All of your achievements in the playoffs, ‘yung sacrifices mo, it all boils down to this playoffs. Alam ng mga players ‘yun na every time you go to the playoffs, very different atmosphere, iba ‘yung approach, you go to the next level. ‘Yun ‘yung reminder ko even sa preparation namin kanina.”
On paper, Magnolia looks to have the advantage. It displayed consistent form throught the eliminations where itbwon 9 games and lost just 2, to top the qualification series. One of its victims was TNT, 110-102, last November 2 during the start of the season.
TNT is already a different team from the last time they faced each other two months ago with Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson bringing a different dimension to the squad and players such as Roger Pogoy starting to return to form following injuries.
“’Yung Talk ‘N Text, they play differently with the new import. And of course, nandiyan na si Pogoy, may firepower sila. Kailangan namin mag-concentrate on our preparation lalo na sa depensa namin,” said Victolero.
One drawback for Magnolia, if it can be called such, is it learned that its opponent would be TNT only last Sunday after the Tropang Giga defeated Phoenix, 116-96. On the other hand, Magnolia had an extended 11-day rest, having played last on January 6, in a loss to Meralco, 85-80, in Iloilo City.
Focus now on TNT
But Victolero said Magnolia was not idle on those rest days.
“Actually, we tried to practice all of our adjustments na kailangan naming gawin sa playoffs,” said Victolero. “Coming off the loss to Meralco, tingin namin may mga kulang pa kami. The good thing that happened for us sa Meralco game is we treated it as a playoff game. ‘Yun ‘yung klase ng game na kailangan namin sa playoffs which is nagawa namin.”
“Sabi ko nga, win or lose, at least we gained a lot of experience doon sa playoff game mentality na hinahanap namin,” said Victolero.
The focus is now on TNT.
“Napag-aralan na rin namin sila, tinignan namin ‘yung past games, and then ‘yung game nila yesterday. We are trying to prepare the best way possible. The crucial factor is our approach, preparation, and mindset in the game,” said Victolero.
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