Game today:
(Mall of Asia Arena)
5:45 p.m. — Ginebra vs Bay Area
Lacking in manpower but not in fighting heart, Bay Area was able to prove to everyone that it is more than just an import-powered squad.
The Dragons showed they can win even with their reinforcement — Andrew Nicholson sidelined by a badly-swollen ankle — in Game 4 last Friday.
Now comes the big question: Will Nicholson show up and play for the Dragons in the pivotal Game 5 of their Commissioner’s Cup best-of-seven championship series against Barangay Ginebra?
“We’re still assessing it day-to-day,” said Cholo Villanueva, the Filipino coach, who assists head mentor Brian Goorjian at the Dragons camp.
“But we’re sticking with Nicholson.”
Bay Area’s other import, Myles Powell, is also on his way to recovery from an acute hyperextended injury on his toe and the Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Office confirmed to Daily Tribune that there’s no request from the Dragons camp for an import change.
So, Bay Area doesn’t have any choice but to either play Nicholson or play with an all-local line up to preserve its reinforcement for the next game and allow him extra recovery time from the injury.
The Dragons can afford to do such, especially after leveling the series following an inspiring performance in their 94-86 triumph over the Gin Kings in a game where Kobey Lam torched the opposition with baskets coming from almost everywhere on his way to his most productive showing in the tournament.
Lam finished with 30 points built around eight three-point shots.
But Bay Area knows Lam cannot do it by his lonesome and the Dragons have to count on production even from unlikely sources.
Zhu Songwei and Glenn Yang each tallied 18 points while big men like Liu Chuanxing, Duncan Reid and Hayden Blankley stepped up big to collectively fill in the huge shoes left by Nicholson.
Defensively, Bay Area had to do it altogether and the team that is known more for its explosive firepower, proved it can also make stops, the second time it did hold Ginebra to below 40 percent shooting from the field.
The Dragons held the Gin Kings to only 38 percent shooting from the field (31-of-80) in Game 4.
Ginebra coach Tim Cone was disappointed with his team’s inability to capitalize on its advantage against an handicapped Bay Area squad that night.
On a night when Scottie Thompson and Justin Brownlee took centerstage as the tournament’s top players by winning the Best Player of the Conference and Best Import awards, respectively, the Gin Kings faltered as a team in Game 4.
“It was disappointing,” Cone wrote in a text message. “We had a chance to really gain some traction on the series and put Bay Area on the brink.”
Nevertheless, Cone praised Bay Area’s resilience to fight back amid the adversities.
“You have to tip your cap to Bay Area. Despite missing its import, the team came into the game with great spirit and played with a great motor all game long. We’ve seen games like that before, when the import is out and you can catch a team sleeping,” wrote Cone.
“We have no excuses. Like we said at the beginning, this is going to be a tough series. Nothing ever comes easy in the Finals.”
