STANLEY Pringle insisted GlobalPort only has itself to blame – more than Alaska’s suffocating defense –for its recent downfall in their PBA Philippine Cup semifinal series.
The Batang Pier converted just 35 of their 84 shots for a poor 42 percent clip on the way to suffering a third straight setback, 84-109, in the best-of-seven series to move on the brink of elimination.
While acknowledging the Aces’ trademark defense was a factor, Pringle said their poor shooting is because of their own undoing that has prevented them from sustaining the success they’ve had since the start of the season.
“We’ve been shooting badly,” the Filipino-American guard admitted. “It’s a learning experience for us.”
“They’ve been playing really good defense, but it’s definitely (our) shooting,” he added. “We’ve been hitting (our shots) during the year and we’re just not hitting them right now. That’s what happens with fatigue.”
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The Batang Pier shot 27-of-77 for a paltry 35 percent, in Game Two, before making just 29 of their 40 attempts for an even worse 27 percent in Game Three. GlobalPort’s shooting improved a bit on Sunday, yet it still proved insufficient.
Pringle, particularly, shot 6-of-18 from the field, making three of his nine three-point attempts, on top of six boards, four assists, and two steals in 37 minutes.
“We’re just going to keep shooting, try to get our rhythm back,” last year’s top rookie said.
“I’m not going to knock our team (out) right now,” he was quick to add. “We still can come back and we’re going to fight. If we hit our shots, it’s going to be a different ballgame.”
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