Emerging triumphant though playing all-Filipino three-fourths of the way Sunday, Barako Bull has got
some leeway to gamble on things.
Using Reggie Okosa for only 11 minutes in his PBA debut, the Energy on Tuesday decided to ditch him
for good, bringing in PBA old hand Gabe Freeman as his replacement.
Freeman hooks up with the Energy as they go for the kill versus the Alaska Milk Aces in their PBA
Commissioner’s Cup quarterfinals showdown at the Smart Araneta Coliseum Wednesday night.
Freeman is likely to stay on as Barako Bull’s import in the season-ending Governors Cup where the
height limit for reinforcements is six feet and five inches.
A player from a small Arizona community college, Freeman took the PBA by storm in 2009, winning the
Best Import award and leading the San Miguel Beermen to the Fiesta Cup crown.
He was to arrive from the US Monday night, reuniting with former San Miguel teammates Danny Seigle,
Dorian Pena and Mick Pennisi at Barako.
The Energy settled for Freeman as Rodney White opted not to return. White rushed home to the US
after the elimination round to attend to his ailing father.
“We will play hard to close out the series. We are sure Alaska will play with all its energy in a
do-or-die game. We will approach the game as do-or-die for us likewise,” said Junel Baculi.
Barako Bull’s old warriors displayed their old dependable forms and the Energy survived playing
without an import for three quarters, topping the Alaska Milk Aces, 103-90, in the series opener.
Seigle and the other grizzled Barako veterans pulled a solid game together, overcoming early
14-point deficits and winning with plenty to spare despite getting hardly anything from Okosa.
“Credit belongs to our veterans. Before the game, I just reminded them that it’s playoff time,
and it’s time for them to shine. They did,” said Baculi.
“All I needed to do was to remind them because they’re veterans. They’ve been there; they’ve
done that. They’re not in good hands; I’m the one in good hands,” Baculi also said.
Okosa hardly helped as he went scoreless with a 0-of-7 shooting in 11 minutes of action.
He was the first import to fail to score a single basket in a game since Magnolia’s Ama McCaskill
in the 2008 Fiesta Conference.
Alaska coach Joel Banal said they have to make the right adjustments in practice and on the course
of the game if they’re to force a rubber match.
He said lapses did them in Sunday.
“We committed a lot of mistakes. Barako is a veteran team, and you can’t afford to commit so
much errors against them,” said Banal.
Source:
http://www.pba.ph/news/entry/1504
4:37 AM
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