The heartbreaking 97-98 quarterfinal loss to TNT KaTropa that forced the unceremonious end of their PBA Governors' Cup reign pretty much summed up the Magnolia Hotshots' season.
They started off strong, seizing an 18-point lead at one point, only to stumble big time and crash and burn at the finish line.
For this season, they challenged for the Philippine Cup crown, pushing San Miguel to the limit before yielding in seven, then lost traction and failed to get past the quarterfinal stage in both the Commissioner's Cup and Govs Cup.
"I think we need to come back strong next season. Sabi ko sa players ko, they need to rest, even the coaching staff, rest their minds and bodies and then we come back strong sa January pagbalik naming lahat," said coach Chito Victolero after their painful exit.
"We need to improve individually and also as a team. We'll actually be intact but kailangan pa namin dagdagan ang desire saka how to finish the game. Siguro yung ang bibigyan namin ng emphasis pagbalik namin sa practice," he added.
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Closing out games was a prevailing problem for Magnolia in its failed title retention bid.
Prior to the catastrophic slip-up to TNT, the Hotshots also squandered a 26-point cushion in an 85-86 elims loss to NLEX a few weeks ago.
"Before, if we can control the game, amin na iyun eh. But now sa third conference, we had a hard time finishing. May mga games kami na we controlled for 46 minutes and then sa last two minutes parang mawawala sa amin, ang dami naming games na ganyan," said Victolero,
Import Romeo Travis, whose 32-26 game was put to waste by that loss, also rued their sloppy endgames.
"It's been going on whole year, we get a big lead and mysteriously it disappears. I don't know how it happens but it always seems to happen to us very frequently. The same kind of ways, no defense, (full of) turnovers," said Travis.
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Victolero also felt breaks didn't go their way in the most of the games, with Travis even getting sidelined by an ankle injury in the elims.
"Ang hirap sa conference namin yung talagang halos lahat ng breaks from the start, from our first game hanggang ngayon, talagang nahirapan kami makahuha ng breaks sa game," he said.
"Siguro this conference is not for us. Talagang naparami naming bad breaks this conference and we got injuries and illness (along the way). It's not an excuse pero nangyayari yan sa teams eh. We didn't give up on Romeo kahit nainjured siya, we kept on grinding sa games but of course, hindi nga napunta sa amin ang breaks," he added. (OL)
