COMMAND and control.
Red hot Star is seeking to grasp both as it shoots for a huge 2-0 lead against mighty San Miguel Beer in their best-of-five semifinals series in the 2017 Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup.
Game 2 is slated today at 7 p.m. at the Mall of Asia Arena as the Hotshots and the Beermen clash with different goals, but with the same end result in mind.
Star, ahead 1-0, is looking to push San Miguel Beer on the brink and move a step closer to gaining a finals berth as it aims for another win.
The Beermen, on the other hand, know they face a must-win situation not only to equalize, but to also avoid a deep 0-2 hole.
Star coach Chito Victolero cites the factors that his team needs to continue having to be able to inch closer to the next stage.
“It’s all about heart, desire and the will to win in this series,” said Victolero. “We need to sustain our level of play to go all the way against a strong team like San Miguel.
Playing with a lot of confidence, the Hotshots controlled most of the opener before holding on to a tough 109-105 victory over the Beermen in Game 1 Sunday night.
Star built a 15-point lead in the fourth, but San Miguel Beer made its rally towards the end, threatening in the final minute only to fall short.
The Hotshots are unbeaten in the playoffs so far, winning all of their three games up to this point.
Meanwhile, top seed Barangay Ginebra and TNT KaTropa are currently opening their own semis showdown with Game 1 as of this report.
Both teams are seeking to draw first blood.
