After a failed late-game comeback in Game 4 of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals, Barangay Ginebra San Miguel’s Jeremiah Gray admitted that the team’s bench got outperformed by their TNT Tropang 5G counterparts.
“Today our bench didn’t bring too much energy like we usually do, like we have been in the last series and the beginning of this series,” Gray told Rebanse after TNT’s 106-98 victory on Wednesday.
Staying Ready
The Filipino-American guard played 11 minutes and scored only 3 points to go along with a rebound. Overall, he and the Ginebra bench scored just 24 points, with Troy Rosario accounting for 11. TNT’s bench, in contrast, poured in 41 big points. Critically, Ginebra’s second stringers didn’t make an impact at all. Now, with Game 4 out the way, Gray knows exactly what he and his bench mates need to do.
“Just being ready to play,” he noted. “We gotta be always ready to play when our number is called, so that’s what we tryna do.”
Back in the series opener, the 29-year-old had 6 points, 1 rebound, and 1 block. In Game 2, he recorded 13 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist while also sparking a fourth-quarter comeback that ultimately just fell short.
Rest and Recovery in a Grueling Finals Schedule
Since that Game 2 explosion of sorts, Gray’s play has fell off. And a factor in it might be the tightness he’s feeling in his lower back, which he divulged to Rebanse on Wednesday night. Gray described it as something weird, but with the games coming pretty much every other day, it isn’t a surprise that he’s feeling banged up.
“I don’t know what’s going on right now, but it’s just something weird that I’m feeling right now after the game, like some tight muscle, but I’m fine though,” he said.
Aside from having to play four games in eight days, players have had to deal with what has been an intense, physically demanding series, which is par the course for Finals action. This is why rest and recovery becomes a critical factor.
“I mean, we just tryna get as much rest and recovery as we can. We got a lot of people playing heavy minutes,” he pointed out. “So, our main job right now is to get as much rest and recovery as we can and get ready for this weekend and try to close it out.”
Cone is known for his usually short rotations during the playoffs, and that is why it is so crucial that players like Gray come in and make an impact to give the starters more rest that they would usually get. If not, there’s a good chance TNT will wear out Justin Brownlee, RJ Abarrientos, and Scottie Thompson—the three players who play the most minutes for Cone.
Gray and the Ginebra bench have shown they can help out. Now, with one day to rest and recuperate, they will try to prove it again after a horrific outing in Game 4.
