Tigers unafraid to take on Titans

MANILA, Philippines - Powerade found strength in the battlecry “Believe” and coach Bo Perasol said he never lost faith in the Tigers who clawed their way back from 17 points down to upset No. 1 seed B-Meg, 131-123, in overtime to survive a twice-to-beat disadvantage in the quarterfinals of the PBA Philippine Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum last Sunday.

It was Powerade’s second straight win over the Llamados and third in a row overall as the Tigers advanced to the semifinals against the winner of the Barangay Ginebra-Rain Or Shine series. Peaking at the right time, the Tigers have now won five of their last six to earn a fearsome reputation as giant-killers.

“We don’t care whom we play in the semis,” said Perasol. “We can compete with anybody and win if we believe, if we keep it together. You can be sure Ginebra will do everything to get back at Rain Or Shine in Game 2 but you can’t count out coach Yeng Guiao who always finds ways to win. All I know is our guys aren’t afraid to compete. Like in the B-Meg series, we showed our respect for coach Tim (Cone), James (Yap) and the entire team but we weren’t afraid. That’s the advantage of our young players. They’re not intimidated by the big boys. When we say believe, they don’t pay lip service. They really believe we can beat the top teams. They’re not awed by how tough the opposition is.”

Perasol said the revelation in Sunday’s game was the Tigers’ refusal to roll over and die even after Jvee Casio sprained his right ankle and Celino Cruz was thrown out in the third period. “We were down to Rudy (Lingganay) and James (Martinez) as the only point guards left,” said Perasol. “We brought in Rudy after Celino was ejected and Jvee got hurt. We didn’t give up. Jvee later went back, played hurt and still made big plays. You couldn’t ask anything more from Jvee. He’s just a rookie but our leader out there. He doesn’t look to play like a superstar, he looks to create for others, to pass not to score. He’s also not afraid to put it up if he has to. The upside is he’s getting even better.”

Without the league’s leading scorer Gary David, Perasol said the Tigers couldn’t have upended B-Meg. David hit 32 points in Powerade’s 97-88 win last Wednesday then 37, including 23 in the fourth period and extension, in Sunday’s clincher.

“Gary almost singlehandedly brought us back,” said Perasol. “He was all fired up. Personally, I don’t read what people say on twitter but I think Gary felt insulted when someone mentioned we had no chance in hell to beat B-Meg before Sunday’s game. He was challenged by that. Gary, Marcio (Lassiter) and Jvee are our main guys but the support they get from Doug (Kramer), Will (Antonio), Sean (Anthony), Josh (Vanlandingham), Celino, Romel (Adducul), Rudy, Alex (Crisano) and the others is outstanding. Everyone in our rotation is an unsung hero.”

In the dressing room before Sunday’s do-or-die, Perasol reminded the Tigers that nobody remembers losers. “I told the guys not to think that it’s okay to go as far as we did, not to be content,” he said. “I was Air21 coach when we played Ginebra in the 2007-08 Fiesta Conference Finals and we lost it in Game 7. I’ll never forget the pain. Up to today, I still think what we could’ve done to win it. I told the guys I didn’t want them to suffer the same pain, to go out there and believe we can beat B-Meg.”

Perasol said Lassiter’s triple was the dagger that took the life out of B-Meg late in overtime of Sunday’s encounter. “The courage of the players got us through,” he said. “Nobody wanted to give up. We were down by 17 then tied it. They couldn’t push us down. We fought back. We believed. Sean couldn’t hold down Kerby (Raymundo) but his effort was inspiring.”

Perasol said Kramer’s showing throughout the conference was an indication of Powerade’s progress as a contender. Kramer is one of the league’s leaders in double-doubles. “He’s the key in our pick-and-roll and with the defense focused on Gary, Marcio and Jvee, he gets a lot of open shots,” said Perasol. “He’s accurate from medium range so he’ll knock down those jumpers once he gets free.”

Powerade’s PBA Board governor and PBA vice-chairman J. B. Baylon said he knew all along the Tigers were better than their No. 8 seeding. “We deserved to be in the quarterfinals but I thought we were better than just No. 8,” he said. “I think our advantage is we’re enjoying ourselves out there. The young guys are showing the way by playing without fear and it’s contagious. The veterans like what the young guys are doing and they’re doing what they’re expected to do. We’re not content to be in the semifinals. We think this team can achieve more.”