IT'S become a bad habit: We take an early double-digit lead as the Pinoy fans scream in excitement... we continue that lead after the third quarter... but when the last few minutes of the game arrive, we misfire and flounder, ending up with a loss.
It happened against Croatia. We led by eight points heading into the fourth quarter before losing in OT. The same thing transpired against Argentina, also in the Fiba World Championship: we tied the game in the third quarter against the world’s No. 3-ranked team before succumbing to a loss. Again, a similar case versus Puerto Rico, erecting a 12-point lead in the first quarter before losing steam.
Against host South Korea last week during the 17th Asian Games, the same scenario.
And, as we witnessed last Sunday afternoon, a similar weakening and languishing finish -- leading Kazakhstan by 18 points in the 3rd, only to see that margin evaporate.
“As usual,” said Coach Chot Reyes, “we fizzled out again in the end.”
It’s not entirely our fault. Winning by an 11-point margin against the same team that defeated Qatar is no easy feat. And the Kazakhstan team, led by Pavel Ilin who struck three-pointer after three-pointer, the same with Anatoly Kolesnikov -- those weren’t our mistakes. It was the opponent who rose to the occasion.
Still, losing a sizable lead and losing the chance to medal is painful. Better that the game be very close and we lose a tight one? Ha-ha.
Last Sunday, it’s clear that one player delivered his best outing. That’s Marcus Douthit. Castigated by Reyes after the loss to Qatar, the coach benched him when we faced Korea. Would we have won against the host team if Douthit played? No doubt.
That’s why the TV 5 commentator says, “When in doubt, go to Douthit.”
It was Reyes’ call and he opted to teach his player a lesson. At the tournament’s most crucial game! He disciplined the 6’11” American (now Fil-Am) at the expense of the Korea game.
Was Chot wrong? “Hindsight is always 20/20,” they say. Which means that it’s easy to critique after the fact. The fact is, Douthit performed a sluggish and lackadaisical game (vs. Qatar) and the coach wouldn’t allow such passiveness to infiltrate his team.
The result last Sunday: Douthit was Andre Blatche-like. In the first few minutes, he scored, scored, rebounded, spun for a Tim Duncan-like twist, and scored again. The threat that drenched upon him turned positive.
But it wasn’t enough. Jimmy Alapag’s beyond-the-arc missiles weren’t enough. And June Mar Fajardo, who, if my memory serves me right, was benched in the first half and only emerged for a few minutes late in the game, was a non-factor, despite the crowd chanting his name for Reyes to hear.
This team needed Blatche. Could we have won the entire Asian Games tournament with the former Brooklyn Nets number “0” (who now plays for the Xinjiang Flying Tigers in China)? Yes.
As to the fate of Coach Reyes, given the myriad of criticisms hurled against the PBA’s five-time Coach of the Year? His job is safe.
Manny Pangilinan sent this Twitter message last Saturday, “Tough job, this coaching.
Especially international. All the world’s eyes on you including Fiba.” Then, yesterday, he tweeted, “Chot, to each and all of you my deep personal gratitude for what Gilas has accomplished- in Manila last year and in Spain and Korea this year.”
MVP added: “The Asian Games are now done. Time to look ahead; plan for FIBA Asia next year in China, the winner qualifies for the 2016 Olympics.”
You can’t win all the time. MVP knows this. It applies to both business and sports.
You’ve got to learn from the mistakes, improve, retool, strengthen, and look ahead to the next game.
“We must stay focused on our goal,” tweeted Pangilinan, “and neither despair nor get deterred by the letdown in the Asian Games.”
I agree.
(www.pages.ph)