MANILA, Philippines — San Miguel Beer's Leo Austria can't help but laud TNT's game plan in Game Four of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup finals Wednesday night.
"They had a really good adjustment in this game," he told the press shortly after the Beermen bowed to KaTropa. "[Because] for the first time, they changed their starters."
"Maybe the substitution patterns were quite different, and it could tell something--na their adjustment is effective for them," the three-time Philippine Cup champion coach added.
They could've weathered past that--and their 17 turnovers--but Austria added that the gut punch was when TNT went after their personnel in the paint.
"The big impact is [on] our big men," he said. "They got into foul trouble early in the first quarter. June Mar (Fajardo) got two fouls already in the first quarter and followed by Charles (Rhodes)."
San Miguel and TNT were virtually neck-and-neck for three quarters. The game's most pivotal moment figured in the sixth-minute mark of the final frame when KaTropa mounted a rally behind their playmaker Jayson Castro.
Fajardo used up all of his foul and Rhodes--who were riding high on a Best Import citation earlier that night--exited the game after picking up a second flagrant foul.
"(Joshua) Smith really can dominate the shaded area," Austria offered. "In the last two games, we're able to limit him from scoring, but tonight at will nakaka-score siya. That is because our big men got into foul trouble."
Smith, who was playing inspired basketball that night, wound up with 20 markers and 15 boards.
"There was something wrong with our defense," Austria noted. "Like I said, if your big man is in foul trouble, and everybody knows naman na our play is centered on our big men."
San Miguel has been stacked with talent, but it could also be noticed that their assaults usually starts with either Rhodes or the league's three-time MVP Fajardo.
"They [had] a good job of trying to attack our big men. The last two games, we're able to prevent that from happening because of our double-teaming," he explained. "I think that's why nakita [niyo] na medyo disorganized, because 'di makaporma ang big men namin dahil they're in foul trouble."