Arvin Tolentino will try to will the NorthPort Batang Pier in their do-or-die Game 4 battle with the Ginebra Gin Kings, who lead 3-0 in the semis series.
As tough as it is to be in a 0-3 pit in the PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup semifinals, NorthPort star Arvin Tolentino is staying positive.
The Batang Pier star simply has no other recourse but to do just that and hope to find a solution to the Ginebra riddle.
“One more chance. Let’s see what happens in Game 4. Siguro ano na 'yun, literal na do-or-die na. We’ll see. See you on Wednesday,” Tolentino said after the Batang Pier suffered a third straight humiliation, 127-100, from the Gin Kings in Game 3 Sunday, March 2.
Without trying to sound like he was making an excuse, Tolentino said it was simply difficult to beat a team as experienced and well-coached as Ginebra.
Though the Batang Pier beat the Gin Kings in the elimination round, a playoff series against a perennial contender is a different story.
“Well, we all know Ginebra is a very experienced team [with] coach Tim Cone. They have five, six national team players. They’ve been together for a long time,” said Tolentino.
“We beat them in the elimination, but they were able to adjust sa'min sa playoffs.”
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Asked what the atmosphere was in the locker room, Tolentino said their morale is intact.
“We’re just really trying to be positive. We actually overachieved this conference. It’s just staying really positive and sticking with each other,” he said of his team that wound up as the No. 1 seed after the elimination round.
“It’s really a hard thing to do right now, being down 0-3. But I can’t say we’re good right now because were down. But 'yung morale ng team, I can say OK pa naman.”
The Batang Pier will go back to the drawing board and continue searching for answers.
“Until now, we're still looking for answers. A lot of things are not clicking,” Tolentino said.
“Good thing we have one more chance on Wednesday. Dito rin yun. We’re new actually in the semifinals. But that’s not an excuse.”
NorthPort and Ginebra square off anew in Game 4 on Wednesday, March 5, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.