PBA: TNT regains winning ways in comeback fashion, dumps Phoenix | ABS-CBN News
00:52.5
We thought that if we made enough defensive stops,
00:55.9
that would be sufficient.
00:56.7
We gave ourselves opportunities to run and transition and score points.
01:01.9
And I think in the end, that's what happened.
01:04.5
And Kenny did a great job on Perkins at 20 in the first half.
01:10.6
He ended up with just, what, 28?
01:13.4
So 8 in the second.
01:15.1
And that was, I think, a big difference.
01:17.2
We were able to shut down their top scorer in the second half.
01:22.9
And Kenny had a lot to do with that.
01:24.8
So, you know, I think that's, in a nutshell, the story.
01:31.4
Coach, you've been very vocal in saying that the team is no longer the same boat and boat by PT and team.
01:37.2
But with your ability to bounce back as you have gone tonight,
01:41.3
what is your belief level about reaching the standard that you have set for the team,
01:45.9
especially as you have only two remaining games in the elimination round?
01:50.4
We're still a work in progress.
01:52.2
We're very far, I think, from the elite teams.
01:54.8
That's the thing.
01:57.0
And we've talked about it a lot as a team.
01:59.8
We haven't played a complete game yet.
02:02.3
In Edinburgh, we played a terrible first half, a great second half.
02:08.0
And when you play teams, quality teams like that, it's hard to win games, right?
02:13.2
Same thing today.
02:14.4
Terrible first half, great second half.
02:16.4
So we have to continue working and fixing,
02:23.8
finding solutions.
02:24.8
To be able to play a full 48 minutes.
02:27.7
So, even before thinking about the next two games,
02:34.7
that's our bigger priority.
02:36.5
How can we put together a full 48-minute quality game?
02:40.7
Thank you, Coach.
02:41.9
Kelly, now on to you.
02:43.3
You came alive in the third quarter.
02:45.5
The challenge for better us is to be able to discern when it is time for them to take over
02:49.8
and when they should take a step back and facilitate and allow their teammates to score.
02:54.1
Thank you, Coach.
02:54.1
Thank you, Coach.
02:54.2
Thank you, Coach.
02:54.4
Thank you, Coach.
02:54.5
Thank you, Coach.
02:54.8
How did you see in the third that just told you that it was your time to start the fire for the team?
03:03.0
At halftime, it was for me, checking my ego, checking myself, seeing what I can do.
03:10.9
Because to help the team, that's what Coach brought me in and brought me back to do.
03:16.1
To help the team, help whatever I can do.
03:18.3
So, that's the story of the season.
03:24.0
That's the story of my career.
03:24.8
Just to come in and do what the team needs.
03:27.1
And so, I said, check myself at halftime.
03:30.5
And Coach said, we pick our poisons with a talented team like Phoenix.
03:35.9
And we just locked in on what we had to do.
03:38.2
I mean, we were all in the same thing.
03:40.9
Picking up on what you said from picking your poison, as you close in the elimination round with this last two games,
03:47.7
what would you like to see from yourself and your teammates to avoid having to be under the pressure of trying to catch up as you have done?
03:54.8
Tonight and your last game.
03:57.1
I think Coach said, we just want to be able to put together a complete game.
04:01.3
I think that's the focus for us now.
04:03.4
I think it's important for all of us to reflect on what we can do to improve and be locked in from the first minute to the 48th.
04:12.0
And I think, like Coach said, before we even think about the next game, the next practice, I think that's the focus.
04:18.9
How can we come in right in the first minute and play at the level we know we can play?
04:24.8
It's fine for opening in the third minute.
04:29.6
Just the familiarity and the kakaanguyan.
04:33.4
They're just getting to know.
04:35.6
They understand how to play off each other.
04:38.4
That's most important.
04:40.4
And also, the way their teammates set them up.
04:43.5
I think that's very important.
04:44.8
Number one, giving them space to operate and making sure that they are able to cover a lot of things
04:52.8
to allow them to do what they do.
04:54.9
And I think in the end, that's what a team is all about.
04:59.4
We had games where both of them scored very well.
05:02.3
But unless we had a Kelly or a Kim Aurean or a Glenn Tugutin also scoring in double digits of the bench, it's not enough.
05:11.7
So I think today, we had that.
05:14.0
We had Glenn, we had Kim, and we had Kelly.
05:16.8
So that augments the efforts of Roger and Calvin.
05:24.8
Just a follow-up on that.
05:28.0
The coach was saying that TNT is no longer the mind of TNT.
05:32.7
It was more a part of that era.
05:35.5
What can you say about this era of TNT where it's been challenging in every way?
05:49.0
In past things, we've had past groups, we've had difficult conversations.
05:54.8
I think now it's just where we still have a lot of young guys.
05:59.9
We have guys that are still not only learning the system, but learning the culture and how we manage each other,
06:08.8
how we work together from management to coaches to players.
06:12.3
I think that's been the bigger part of our success in the past.
06:17.7
So there's a lot of learning.
06:20.2
There's a lot of adjustments.
06:21.7
Coaches dig on being able to pivot and adjust in time.
06:24.8
There's a lot of times that are difficult, so we're all learning.
06:27.8
And like Coach said, I think we have the capability to get to where we want to be.
06:34.3
It's just going to take some time and guys really are reflecting on themselves and reflecting on what the team needs from each moment.
06:42.8
Those are the biggest punch we have in these last few games and hopefully get to the playoffs.
06:50.8
Thank you for telling me.
06:52.8
Kelly, you faced off with Peyton.
06:54.8
He's playing a different career.
06:56.8
But this season, Kirk is proving to be improving, especially on the scoring end.
07:01.8
So what can you say just about his improvement on his all-around game and how was it facing off with him tonight?
07:07.8
Yeah, but Kirk has always been a great matchup that I love to match up with.
07:15.8
After every game, I always tell him just to keep doing what he's doing, stay aggressive.
07:20.8
It's good to see him grow as a player.
07:24.8
He stays locked in and if you stay with the right attitude, he's going to really do some nice hard damage in the next few games.
07:32.8
Coach, you mentioned that he was limited to just eight points.
07:36.8
How hard was it to limit him to just eight points?
07:39.8
My personal mentality against any player, whether it's Jumar or whoever, it's not really to limit any productivity.
07:50.8
It's just to give them some resistance and make it difficult for them.
07:54.8
I just want to stay in front of Kirk tonight and give him some resistance and make him a little bit uncomfortable.
08:00.8
I think he was a little too comfortable in the first half and he was able to get what he wanted.
08:04.8
So that's part of the game.
08:06.8
Being able to adjust and know that and put yourself in the position to be able to stop a talented player like Kirk.
08:15.8
Coach, these are times you guys have been dealing with younger players.
08:22.8
Do you have any players that you hope to play with?
08:24.8
Do you have any players that you hope to play with?
08:28.8
Do you have any players that you hope to play with?
08:36.8
Two things. Challenge and conditioning.
08:40.8
So the veterans are seeing the challenge from the young ones.
08:44.8
And they're doing extra work on their conditioning.
08:49.8
And we're seeing that in the games of guys like Kelly and Mark and both.
08:52.8
And we're seeing that in the games of guys like Kelly and Mark and both.
08:56.8
We know everyone in the league now is paying extra attention to their nutrition, to their off-court work.
09:05.8
Really improving on their conditioning and their fitness.
09:09.8
So that's what we're seeing now.
09:13.8
So the influx of young blood has been very good for the league.
09:18.8
It's been very difficult for us before.
09:21.8
Before, we at Toketex, even if we had a bad game, we know certain games are sure wins.
09:27.8
That's no longer the case every game now.
09:30.8
It doesn't matter who we play, every game we know is going to be a challenge.
09:33.8
It demands our best.
09:35.8
So it's more difficult for us, but I think it's good for the league.
09:40.8
And that challenge is forcing the vets to really up their...
09:49.8
Not their game, but their conditioning because we all know their skill.
09:53.8
There are no questions of skill.
09:55.8
These guys are all skilled, that's why they're here, right?
09:57.8
Kelly and Bo and Mark, Jason, C-san, Jacket.
10:03.8
There's no question about their skills.
10:05.8
So they're all upping their conditioning.
10:08.8
That's brought about by the challenge.
10:10.8
Seeing all the young blood coming in.
