MANILA, Philippines – Star veteran Marc Pingris has December 18 circled on his calendar as it marks the first time that he and the Hotshots will face off against former teammate James Yap, who now plays for the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters.
The Hotshots opened their All-Filipino Cup campaign on the wrong note on Sunday, bowing to defending champion San Miguel, 88-96, after relinquishing a nine-point advantage in the fourth quarter. Yap watched the first half of the game, but left at the break.
Pingris has openly voiced his sadness regarding Yap's trade, even comparing it to a break-up with a girlfriend. Now that a new season has started, however, he said both parties have to move on.
"Mahirap, pero okay lang naman," Pingris said of their first game without Yap. "Mahirap, dahil nami-miss namin siya."
"Pero okay lang, dahil nandiyan naman 'yung mga rookies, sila Paul (Lee)," he added. "Kumbaga, move on. Nag-break na eh."
Asked if he intends to watch Yap's games with Rain or Shine, Pingris said: "Alam ko na ang laro ni James."
"Kilalang-kilala ko na ang laro ni James," he stressed. "Sana, magkabantayan kami."
As for his own team, Pingris is optimistic that the Hotshots can recover from a losing start. He saw certain positive aspects, most notably their defense, although Pingris also rued their turnovers that gave SMB too many easy points.
"Kailangan, every possession, kailangan importante lang," he said. "'Yun naman ang nangyari talaga."
(For more sports coverage, visit the ABS-CBN Sports website.)
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