(From PBA Online)
For 45 minutes, Jong Uichico labored to coach a ballclub he didn't recognize. Then Eric Menk showed up and reintroduced the man to the Barangay Ginebra that he knew.
"I've been here for four years and that was just a different team out there," said Uichico, who minced no words in expressing his distaste for the Kings' overall performance despite their 93-90 victory over the Barako Coffee Masters Wednesday night in the PBA Fiesta Cup at the Araneta Coliseum.
"That just wasn't Ginebra," fumed the Kings coach in his usual toned-down way, momentarily oblivious to the presence of the guy beside him during the post-game media interview - power forward Eric Menk.
"Of course, it wasn't all the players," Uichico clarified.
Menk had Ginebra's never-say-die symbol emblazoned all over him.
He blasted his way to eight of his 20 points in the fourth quarter, with six straight coming in the closing minutes when the Kings teetered in defeat and clung desperately on the bulging biceps of the player called "Major Pain".
"It didn't look good with three minutes left but I just kept pluggingaway," said Menk, who shot 7-of-19 overall and 6 of 7 foul shots with five rebounds and three assists. He towed the Kings back in line with the first of four free throws to end Barako's string of 11 unanswered points that had the Coffee Masters steaming back from four points down to seven up, 87-80, on Reed Juntilla's fast break layup.
"No, it wasn't that we're giving up but I was really frustrated with the way we were playing up to that point," said Uichico.
Menk added two more free throws after that, then followed it up with a three-point play to jolt the languid Ginebra crowd.
"The guys were looking for me and luckily we made some free throws," he said.
Celino Cruz took it from there, draining a 3-point shot to put the Kings within 90-89 before import Mildon Ambres hit a semi-hook shot after rebounding a miss by Willie Miller as the Coffee Masters unraveled.
Ambres led Ginebra with 27 points and pulled down 20 rebounds, double-double numbers which his coach defended.
"He's doing the best he can. Twenty-seven points, twenty rebounds, what more can you ask for?" said Uichico. "It's not the import anymore. It might be the coach or the players but we'll figure out what's wrong."
Menk says he is lost as well on what ails his team, but may have provided some answers.
"Oh, man, I wish I knew," he said. "We're obviously a talented team but talent can't win games all the time. We'll probably win one-on-one battles, but it's still five-on-five."
Ginebra picked up its fifth win in nine games, while the Coffee Masters, who had 27 points from Sam Monroe and 23 from Juntilla, fell to 2-7, their biggest paycheck going down the drain after Monroe traveled with 7.5 seconds left on their last possession. (Tempo Sports)
The scores:
GINEBRA 93 - Ambres 27, Menk 20, Hatfield 10, Miller 9, Helterbrand 9, Wilson 7, Caguioa 6, Cruz 3, Villanueva 2, Tubid 0, De Ocampo 0.
BARAKO 90 - Monroe 27, Juntilla 23, Najorda 16, Gaco 8, Dimaunahan 7, Alonzo 4, Vergara 3, Reyes 2, Menor 0, Duncil 0, Aljamal 0, Hubalde 0.
Quarters: 24-20, 45-38, 70-63, 93-90.
For 45 minutes, Jong Uichico labored to coach a ballclub he didn't recognize. Then Eric Menk showed up and reintroduced the man to the Barangay Ginebra that he knew.
"I've been here for four years and that was just a different team out there," said Uichico, who minced no words in expressing his distaste for the Kings' overall performance despite their 93-90 victory over the Barako Coffee Masters Wednesday night in the PBA Fiesta Cup at the Araneta Coliseum.
"That just wasn't Ginebra," fumed the Kings coach in his usual toned-down way, momentarily oblivious to the presence of the guy beside him during the post-game media interview - power forward Eric Menk.
"Of course, it wasn't all the players," Uichico clarified.
Menk had Ginebra's never-say-die symbol emblazoned all over him.
He blasted his way to eight of his 20 points in the fourth quarter, with six straight coming in the closing minutes when the Kings teetered in defeat and clung desperately on the bulging biceps of the player called "Major Pain".
"It didn't look good with three minutes left but I just kept pluggingaway," said Menk, who shot 7-of-19 overall and 6 of 7 foul shots with five rebounds and three assists. He towed the Kings back in line with the first of four free throws to end Barako's string of 11 unanswered points that had the Coffee Masters steaming back from four points down to seven up, 87-80, on Reed Juntilla's fast break layup.
"No, it wasn't that we're giving up but I was really frustrated with the way we were playing up to that point," said Uichico.
Menk added two more free throws after that, then followed it up with a three-point play to jolt the languid Ginebra crowd.
"The guys were looking for me and luckily we made some free throws," he said.
Celino Cruz took it from there, draining a 3-point shot to put the Kings within 90-89 before import Mildon Ambres hit a semi-hook shot after rebounding a miss by Willie Miller as the Coffee Masters unraveled.
Ambres led Ginebra with 27 points and pulled down 20 rebounds, double-double numbers which his coach defended.
"He's doing the best he can. Twenty-seven points, twenty rebounds, what more can you ask for?" said Uichico. "It's not the import anymore. It might be the coach or the players but we'll figure out what's wrong."
Menk says he is lost as well on what ails his team, but may have provided some answers.
"Oh, man, I wish I knew," he said. "We're obviously a talented team but talent can't win games all the time. We'll probably win one-on-one battles, but it's still five-on-five."
Ginebra picked up its fifth win in nine games, while the Coffee Masters, who had 27 points from Sam Monroe and 23 from Juntilla, fell to 2-7, their biggest paycheck going down the drain after Monroe traveled with 7.5 seconds left on their last possession. (Tempo Sports)
The scores:
GINEBRA 93 - Ambres 27, Menk 20, Hatfield 10, Miller 9, Helterbrand 9, Wilson 7, Caguioa 6, Cruz 3, Villanueva 2, Tubid 0, De Ocampo 0.
BARAKO 90 - Monroe 27, Juntilla 23, Najorda 16, Gaco 8, Dimaunahan 7, Alonzo 4, Vergara 3, Reyes 2, Menor 0, Duncil 0, Aljamal 0, Hubalde 0.
Quarters: 24-20, 45-38, 70-63, 93-90.
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