Embracing adversity, TNT and Phoenix look to build character for the tougher grind ahead

Tyler Tio (No. 19) has been fueling the rise of Phoenix the final two video games. —PBA IMAGES

Whether or not it’s Chot Reyes at TNT or Topex Robinson at Phoenix, coaches know the worth of forging character by way of fireplace.

Take the Tropang Giga head coach, for example. His group is at the moment sporting a 2-1 (win-loss) report within the PBA Commissioner’s Cup largely as a result of workmanlike effort of an import who the nationwide basketball program is hoping to undertake. And but, Reyes needs Cameron Oliver examined much more by the league’s finest so the American shall be prepared for the larger battles forward.

“I feel he wants a little bit bit extra of killer intuition,” Reyes instructed the Inquirer over the cellphone on the eve of the Tropang Giga’s conflict with NLEX, which he sees shall be an enormous take a look at for Oliver. “I’m fairly happy, for positive. However we have to see him towards among the finest imports within the event.”

Oliver is averaging 28 factors and a shade underneath 12 rebounds a contest and shall be going through NBA veteran Earl Clark of the Street Warriors of their 5:45 p.m. collision on Wednesday at PhilSports Area.

“He (Clark) would be the finest that Oliver will face to date, and we will discover out what he’s actually product of,” Reyes mentioned. “Magnolia [against Nick Rakocevic] was a superb take a look at, however we had been fairly short-handed then.”

After which there’s Robinson, whose Phoenix squad is going through manpower issues and an unsure future for the franchise.

‘Embracing arduous’

And but one way or the other, after dropping their first three matches, the Gasoline Masters have gained their final two.

“We took out ‘straightforward’ from our vocabulary,” Robinson mentioned. “We simply embraced ‘arduous,’ and tried to get higher at dealing with ‘arduous.’”

Robinson has offered to his group that the hardships it’s at the moment going through helps metal them for powerful video games and Phoenix has responded properly, rising with a 101-93 victory over powerhouse Barangay Ginebra just lately.

And the pep speak has labored. Robinson and his fees are actually in good place to stretch their minirun to a few video games as they battle slumping Meralco at 3 p.m.

Phoenix has to date been drawing stellar performances from rookie Tyler Tio and the resurgent Javee Mocon. Each younger weapons have helped the group fill in for the offense that Matthew Wright took with him to Japan and the supplemental scoring dried up when Jason Perkins was dominated out for the season on account of a knee drawback.

“There’s no straightforward bus anymore for us,” mentioned Robinson. “Every part goes to be arduous. We simply should get higher at ‘arduous.’”

Reyes additionally expects issues to be powerful for TNT, with accidents leaving his roster nonetheless in tatters. And he’s anticipating his gamers to metal themselves as they face adversity.

Getting higher

Additionally being readied for naturalization for Gilas Pilipinas, Oliver has led the Tropang Giga to a 2-1 report, the one loss being that shut shave to the Hotshots of their debut.

Prolific guards Jayson Castro and Mikey Williams are slowly rounding out into prime form after totally different foot accidents, making Reyes longing for the remainder of the marketing campaign.

“We’re breaking them in slowly. Like Jayson, whom we performed for simply three minutes at a time in his first sport (a 110-91 win over Rain or Shine final Saturday),” Reyes mentioned. “Mikey remains to be feeling the results of a foul ankle sprain in Recreation 7 [of the Philippine Cup Finals], however he’ll be OK.”

In the meantime, San Miguel Beer launched Diamond Stone and has enlisted the providers of Devon Scott. INQ

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