Desire, not destiny, for TNT

If you ask Talk ‘N’ Text coach Joel Banal, he’d rather pick desire over destiny as his rallying cry in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Fiesta Conference Finals against San Miguel Beer.

"Destiny means the title is there for you and you could get complacent, thinking no matter what, that’s your fate," said Banal yesterday. "So I’d rather have desire because that’s what we need to beat San Miguel in a series."

Banal said the Phone Pals proved they can outplay San Miguel in Game 2 last Sunday only they did it in just the first two quarters.

"It’s a matter of extending for two more quarters what we showed we can do," said Banal.

Clearly, Talk ‘N’ Text can draw inspiration from its play in the first half of last Sunday’s encounter. The Phone Pals led, 47-30, at the half and scored 22 turnover points to San Miguel’s four.

Talk ‘N’ Text stretched the lead to 20 early in the third period then squandered it in losing an 81-79 squeaker on Danny Ildefonso’s breakaway layup with six seconds left.

"The talk about whether the game should be high-scoring or low-scoring and which team has the advantage means nothing in the Finals," said Banal. "There’s no pressure on us, for instance, to score 90 or more. It’s all about playing your best every time out and taking what the game brings."

Banal said the Phone Pals proved they can beat San Miguel in a playoff in last year’s Fiesta Conference when Talk ‘N’ Text trounced the Beermen, 104-92, in the round-robin quarterfinals.

"San Miguel had a better team then with Art Long and we beat them," noted Banal. "So it’s a matter of learning how to beat San Miguel not just in a playoff game but in a series. Our goal is to stop San Miguel. We know they’re experienced. That’s why we’ve got to play hard and strong not just for two quarters but for 48 minutes. That’s how to beat San Miguel. It’s now up to us to do it."

Banal admitted San Miguel import Ace Custis’ entry into the Finals picture has posed some problems in matching up. Custis replaced Chris Burgess starting Game 3 of the semifinal series between San Miguel and Red Bull.

"We’re still adjusting to Custis," said Banal. "It’s like San Miguel went from a big import to a small import. I think we adjusted well in Game 2 but kulang pa. I expect we’ll do better in the next games."

Banal said the imports carry a huge load on their shoulders in terms of boosting morale.

"Everyone’s expected to step up in the Finals," said Banal. "We’ve gone through a lot and now’s the time to show up. Of course, the imports make a big difference. If your import plays well, he inspires the others to step up."

As for Asi Taulava, Banal confessed the adjustments in reactivating The Rock are major.

Banal said Taulava’s minutes will depend on how well he performs. Taulava showed marked improvement in blending with his teammates in Game 2 and is expected to become more of a force as the series progresses.

In Game 1, Taulava collected eight points and five rebounds in 21 minutes. In Game 2, he compiled 11 points and three rebounds in 22 minutes.

There were moments of brilliance for Taulava in Game 2 like when he faked left, turned and sank a skyhook off Dorian Peña in the second period. Banal said he’s hoping for more consistency from Taulava.

Banal said the opposing backcourts neutralized each other in Game 2. Jimmy Alapag and Willie Miller weren’t as productive as usual. Neither were Olsen Racela and Dondon Hontiveros.

"Peña and (Nic) Belasco hurt us in the third period and Ildefonso in the end," said Banal. "We’ve got to stop those guys."

Falling behind 0-2 in the Finals isn’t new to Banal and the Phone Pals. They crawled out of the same hole to sweep the next four games in crushing Coca-Cola for the 2003 All-Filipino title.

Obviously, Banal isn’t thinking beyond Game 3. But a win tonight will get the Phone Pals back on track and put pressure on San Miguel to think about the 2003 experience.

Banal sounded cool and calm on the phone yesterday. He knows what’s at stake in tonight’s game. No doubt, the Phone Pals learned a lot from the bitter lessons of Games 1 and 2. They won’t make the same mistakes again.