Taulava, Tigers flash nastier fangs

BY NOLI CORTEZ

COCA-Cola coach Binky Favis believes his team is blessed and nobody can fault him.

Injuries and trades have kept his players from fully adjusting with each other and the team chemistry he so craves for is far from being fully achieved.

Yet here are the Tigers, survivors of yet another knockout game and on their way to a best-of-three quarterfinals showdown with Alaska in the Smart PBA Philippine Cup.

"We are a blessed team," Favis declared after his team’s 109-102 win over Air21 last Sunday at the Astrodome.

"We are so blessed just having an opportunity to be in a position to fight in the quarterfinals, after the rough road we had to go through. All we asked for was a chance and this is a gift, a blessing."

The other quarterfinals match-up pits Red Bull and Magnolia, also at the same Pasay City venue.

The victory was Coke’s seventh in its last 10 games, coming on the heels of an 81-73 elimination of sixth-ranked Talk N Text just two days before.

For the Tigers to be in this enviable position after losing eight straight games early in the tournament was totally unexpected to most. Not for Favis, however.

"Gumanda naman ang improvement level," he explained. "Iyun nga lang, hindi pa namin nararating ang chemistry that I wanted for this team to be truly competitive."

One thing that was a constant was his players’ determination, as personified by the likes of Asi Taulava, Mark Telan and John Arigo last Sunday.

Taulava had 17 points and 12 rebounds for his ninth double-double in a Coke uniform and Telan 11 and 10. Arigo scattered 23 points in just 15 minutes of action and set the early tone by scoring 15 points in the second quarter alone, enabling the Tigers to lead by as many as 21 points twice, the last at 47-26.

But it was clearly Taulava who bailed the team out of imminent trouble after Air21 closed to within 99-95, scoring seven of his team’s last 11 points. Arwind Santos’ triple pulled the Express within 102-105, but free throws by Ronjay Buenafe and Alex Cabagnot in the last 14 seconds sealed the win over the No. 8 seed.

Santos, leading the race for Best Player of the Conference, could have helped turn the game’s complexion around after his team closed to within 95-99. But he failed to cash in a foul by Taulava’s foul, flubbing two free throws.

Favis would not say it out loud but such instances helped reinforce his belief his team is truly sanctified.

"That’s why I keep telling my players that we have been given a golden opportunity and we should make the most of it, continue playing our hearts out and see how far we can go," he said.

The Alaska series should prove to a tough test. The Tigers lost twice to the Aces in the eliminations, their last meeting when Taulava has just been acquired from TNT in a trade and has not blended in with his new teammates.

Favis will cross that bridge when his team gets there. As of now, there’s still some savoring to do.

Source: http://www.malaya.com.ph/jan22/spor3.htm