Despite being a heavy favorite, San Miguel still has work cut out for it as far as coach Jorge Gallent is concerned
San Miguel coach Jorge Gallent was far from pleased even after the Beermen bested Rain or Shine, 101-98, in their PBA Season 48 Philippine Cup semifinals opener on Friday, May 17.
Gallent could not help but rue San Miguel's 16 turnovers which almost spelled doom for the Beermen in Game One of the best-of-seven series at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.
“We just have to minimize our turnovers. We had 16. That is really a lot for a team,” said Gallent after the match.
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It is easy to understand why.
After all, the Elasto Painters thrive in transition game. On Friday, Rain or Shine exploited the Beermen’s blunders one too many times, scoring 14 off of them.
“As much as possible, we just have to minimize that and take care of the ball. Because if we don’t take care of the ball, this is what is going to happen,” Gallent said.
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“They’re going to have easy shots and we won't be able to sprint back down on defense.”
While the Beermen still have their work cut out for them despite gaining early advantage in the penultimate stage, Gallent was mighty proud of his charges' efforts on both ends of the floor.
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“A win is a win. You don’t say my players didn’t live up to expectations,” he said.
“They lived up to their expectations because we won the game. I’m really proud of them.”