Asi, Tigers upbeat despite first-day loss

Coca-Cola center Asi Taulava wasn’t fazed by the Tigers’ 98-97 loss to Talk ‘N’ Text to open the PBA’s 34th season at the Araneta Coliseum last Saturday. Neither was coach Binky Favis who said almost beating one of the league’s title contenders after giving up easy layups and committing mindless turnovers was an indication of good things to come.

The Tropang Texters won on a free throw by Jimmy Alapag with 8.6 seconds left. Taulava’s follow-up of an Alex Cabagnot miss to win it for Coca-Cola came a split second too late and was nullified. 

“They beat us on a technicality,” said Taulava, sporting a shaved head for a “new look” inspired by his two children Asianna Louise, 6, and Pauline Leilani, 4. “We got our butts kicked in the preseason but we’re definitely getting better. We’re working together now. Personally, I can’t wait to play Alaska (this Saturday in Victorias City, Negros Occidental).”

Alapag’s free throw came as a result of a technical foul called on Coca-Cola for an excessive full timeout. With the score tied at 97-all, Tigers guard Mark Macapagal slapped the ball away from Talk ‘N’ Text’s Mac-Mac Cardona and Taulava dove for the loose ball, calling a timeout as soon as he established possession.

Although the Tigers had a 30-second call left, they ran out of full timeouts. Under PBA rules, a timeout called in the backcourt on a live play is an automatic one-minuter. A team has the option for a 30-seconder in the backcourt only after a conversion or on a sideline inbound.

“I take full responsibility for the loss,” said Favis. “I should’ve explained the rule to the players. You can’t blame Asi for calling the timeout. He had no other choice. Besides, he kept the ball alive for us with his hustle play. Talk ‘N’ Text is one of the league’s most talented teams, if not the most talented. We gave up too many things for free like layups and the offensive rebound that led to Yancy’s (de Ocampo) triple in the last minute.”

Favis said there must be a lesson to coming back from an 18-point deficit to seize the lead, 95-94, before losing on a technical foul shot. 

“Actually, I stopped counting how many points we fell behind after they led by 15,” said Favis. “But I couldn’t ask more from our guys in the second half. Talk ‘N’ Text scored 60 points in the first half but we held them to only 38 in the second. At halftime, I told the guys we had 18 turnovers but we were down by only 13, that if we played defense in the second half, we’ll be right in it to win. We’ve got to keep in mind it’s a 48-minute game.”

Favis said the Texters’ early lead, fueled by RenRen Ritualo’s 18 points in the second period, was too much of a handicap to overcome.

“We gave them a big plus in the first half,” said Favis. “We’ve got to take care of the details then good things will happen. If we play together as a team, we’ll be fine. We put this team together last season. Now is the time for us to show what we can really do. Sportswriters are writing us off, putting us in the bottom half of the standings in preseason predictions. We’re taking it as a challenge for us to prove them wrong.”

Favis said he expects John Arigo, who hardly played in the last conference, to break out this season.

“John and I have been together for three years now and I haven’t seen him work as hard for this season,” continued Favis. “He’s doing everything he’s asked to do. He’s trying his best. To me, it’s all about effort. For as long as you’re better today than you were yesterday, you’re on the right track. There are still things he has to improve on, like playing defense, but he’s getting there.”

As for one-time MVP Kenneth Duremdes, Favis said he’s still very much a part of the team. “He’s not on our roster at the moment,” Favis noted. “But he’s with us every practice and every game. He’s teaching our young players the ropes. He’s our No. 1 cheerleader. And if we need to activate him, he’ll be ready.”

Favis said after the loss, Taulava spoke out in the dressing room and encouraged his teammates.

“Asi told everyone don’t worry about losing, that we’re picking up and getting better,” said Favis. “We beat Talk ‘N’ Text the last four games since we got Asi. And it would’ve been five in a row if not for the technical foul, which really wasn’t why we lost. The technical was only the last straw.”

Favis said the one-point loss should serve notice that the Tigers will be in the thick of things this season. 

“You saw how talented Talk ‘N’ Text is with new guys like (Jared) Dillinger and (Jason) Castro,” he went on. “But we almost beat them. That says a lot about our team.”

Taulava said he shaved his head and beard for his two daughters.

“Yeah, they told me to shave,” he said, walking out of the coliseum with wife Ana Mae and their kids after Saturday’s thriller. “It’s my new look, a clean image for the new season.”

In the preseason, the Tigers lost to San Miguel Beer by four and to Red Bull by 17. They also lost an exhibition game to a visiting Korean team. But from how they played Saturday night, the Tigers look like they won’t be losing too many games this campaign.