Laro Bukas
(Araneta Coliseum)
8 p.m. Petron Blaze vs San Mig Coffee
(Game 6)
ILANG araw matapos mapanalunan ang kanyang kauna-unahang Most Valuable Player award, mukhang nawawala sa kanyang laro si Arwind Santos.
Bagamat pinapaboran sa pagsisimula ng best-of-seven series ng PBA Governors’ Cup laban sa San Mig Coffee, biglang nahihirapan ang Petron Blaze Boosters at sila na ang naghahabol sa Mixers sa krusyal na bahagi ng kanilang serye.
Muntik namang hindi nagamit si Santos sa huling yugto ng Game Five kung saan nakalasap ang Petron ng 114-103 pagkatalo noong Linggo ng gabi matapos na paupuin siya may 8:51 sa third period hanggang sa huling 2:04 ng laro.
Ang Boosters ay nakalasap ng ikalawang sunod na pagkatalo at naghabol, 2-3, sa serye. Sinabi naman ni Petron coach Gee Abanilla na hindi siya nagpabaya.
“It was a coaching decision,” sabi ni Abanilla. “I just thought that some of the (other) players were playing really well. It was also a matter of match-ups. We felt that we needed someone quicker.”
Pero nakakagulat ito dahil ang Boosters ay nagpipilit na makabangon mula sa double-figure na paghahabol na wala ang sinasabing “best player of the season” na makakatulong para makabawi ang koponan.
“We need him in this series,” sabi pa ni Abanilla matapos paglaruin ng 18 minuto si Santos, na nakagawa ng season-low na dalawang puntos at apat na rebounds.
“He is one of the reasons why we got this far and I think if he contributes more, it would be good for us. “Before this game I had a talk with him. I reassured him that our confidence is still with him,” dagdag pa ni Abanilla.
“He’s been hearing a lot of things in social media and I assured him that the team is backing him up and I believe in him. For us, he is a valuable piece to our team and we need him.”
Napagwagian ni Santos ang MVP award sa isa sa pinakadikitang karera sa kasaysayan ng liga laban kay LA Tenorio.