The Magnolia Hotshots got back into the PBA Governors’ Cup win column on Sunday with a commanding 88-73 victory over Barangay Ginebra San Miguel. And it all started with their defense—something head coach LA Tenorio emphasized prior to the game.
“I have to give credit to my players. They really came out this game. It’s hard after a really frustrating or disappointing loss last Friday. And then we came out defensively in today’s game. I give credit to my players,” Tenorio said at the postgame presser at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. “They responded really well to the challenge I gave them. I told them that this game will be a defensive game. Knowing Coach Tim [Cone] and knowing Barangay Ginebra, they really take pride in their defense.”
Magnolia Clamps Down Ginebra
The Hotshots responded for sure, holding Ginebra to under 20 points in each of the last three quarters and to 73 for the entire game. Magnolia also held Ginebra to 38.6% shooting overall and 28.0% from downtown in a defensive masterclass.
“I told them that we’re going to bleed each point, but defensively, we have to make them work also. We have to be assertive, more so, on our defense against their execution. I know that Ginebra is really good at executing their offense,” Tenorio added. “I really like what I saw with the whole team—the defensive effort. Playing Ginebra is not easy, I told them. It’s always hard to play Ginebra.”
RJ Abarrientos Bears Brunt of Great Defense
That defensive effort also made sure that RJ Abarrientos, the Commissioner’s Cup Best Player winner, wouldn’t replicate his 27-point showing in Ginebra’s win against the Meralco Bolts. And, according to Tenorio, that was by design.
“RJ is a superstar. We cannot just play him straight, or we just have to play him normal. We treated him like an import. I have so much respect for RJ. I know him,” the first-year head coach admitted. “That was our plan. Again, I have to go back to all the players who guarded the whole team. We were very disciplined with our game plan…”
The plan worked. Magnolia took Abarrientos out of the game, limiting him to just 6 points on 2-for-9 shooting and even taking away his passing lanes. Actually, the plan worked so well that the entire Ginebra team couldn’t get going.
It was a challenge met, indeed.
