HAVING an off night offensively may be acceptable, but if you’re also playing lethargically on the defensive end, it’s a recipe for disaster.
Ranidel de Ocampo and the rest of Talk ‘N Text found that out for the second straight game on Tuesday when the Tropang Texters suffered their worst loss in two years, a 119-85 decision at the hands of Meralco in the PBA Governors’ Cup.
The Tropang Texters shot just 41 percent (32-of-79) from the field, and what made matters worse was they also defended poorly as they allowed the Bolts to make 48 of their 85 shots for a blistering 56 percent from the field.
“Wala namang off night sa depensa eh,” said De Ocampo, who was lost for words at the start of the interview. “Pangit talaga yung depensa namin. Kulang kami sa effort.”
It was the second straight game where the Tropang Texters allowed their opponents to score triple digits and shoot above the 50-percent mark, letting Globalport convert 48 of their 89 for a solid 54 percent on the way to scoring a 123-120 win.
“Dapat nga yung unang laro pa lang, wake-up call na eh,” said De Ocampo, who scored 14 points on 4-of-8 shooting, but only had three in the second half. “Nangyari ulit, kaya pangit talaga.”
“Sa tingin ko kahit papaano, yung dalawang laro, tama na ‘yun,” the Gilas Pilipinas standout forward added. “Marami na kaming natutunan ‘dun tska sobrang pangit sa pakiramdam.”
“So itong susunod na mga laro, pipilitin talaga naming makabawi. Gagawan namin ng paraan.”