NorthPort’s Kadeem Jack (with ball) finds a way past the defense of Chris Mc-Laughlin for two of his 38 points. —AUGUST DELA CRUZ
Hong Kong was the only team on a string of victories heading into Friday night’s PBA Commissioner’s Cup, and the visitors saw their run snuffed out by a NorthPort side whose pride was pricked by a lowly squad earlier this week.
From a densely packed schedule to fatigue brought on by traveling between Manila and its home turf, Eastern actually has a lot of good reasons it could pin the 120-113 loss on.
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But basketball is a sport, and playing the blame game isn’t part of the competition, according to Glen Yang, one of the de facto leaders of the squad.
“This is our reality now,” the playmaker told the Inquirer, referring to exhaustion and the team’s whirlwind back-and-forth between the Philippines and Hong Kong to fulfill commitments in the PBA, East Asia Super League (EASL) and the local A1 Division Championship.
Yang said that his teammates knew from the jump what they were getting into and that hitches are part of the journey toward their goal, which is contending for championships in every tournament.
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Disjointed play
Hong Kong was on a three-game winning streak and had won five of their last six games before taking on a NorthPort crew with an identical record at PhilSports Arena that night.
But Eastern’s disjointed play down the stretch and a casual 36 points from Batang Pier star Arvin Tolentino denied the guest club from keeping its winning ways alive. Yang and his teammates also relinquished the top spot of the conference to the enemy, falling to the second spot and a 5-2 win-loss mark in the race.
Asked if the recent developments have caused some worries within the team’s quarters, Yang simply smiled.
“No. We’re not panicking,” he said, shaking his head.
One of the three remnants of the Bay Area Dragons that visited the PBA two seasons ago, Yang’s outlook remains rosy. And much of that stems from the fact that Hong Kong will have a chance to end 2024 on a good note.
Hong Kong scored a 71-62 wire-to-wire win over San Miguel Beer in an EASL clash at Southorn Stadium on their home turf last Wednesday, and will try to repeat against the proud club in the 7:30 p.m. clash at the Pasig venue this Sunday.
“We know them and they know us,” Yang said, now with an even wider smile. “But it’s going to be tough with June Mar [Fajardo] out there.”
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The 3-2 Beermen, meanwhile, are hoping that they could make things even tougher in the rematch with new import Jabari Narcis, a 6-foot-9 big man from Trinidad and Tobago.
