THE MORNING AFTER: Red Hot Red Warriors

By Sam Miguel
Philippinebasketball.ph
September 02, 2009

34 seconds. Seemingly, that was how long it took for the University of the East Red Warriors to kiss their UAAP Season 72 campaign goodbye. In the last 34 seconds of the Fil Oil Flying V summer tournament’s winner-take-all championship match, star guard James Martinez raced down court in transition for a layup against FEU swingman JE Cawaling. When Martinez landed he was slow to get up, and in fact had to be carried off the court on a stretcher. UE had mounted a furious comeback against the Tamaraws in that preseason final, and Martinez’s layup brought UE within a basket after being down as much as 22 points. UE eventually lost but not without giving FEU the scare of their lives. A few days later it was finally announced: James Martinez suffered an ACL injury and would not be able to see action in Season 72. With the young hotshot gunner out, the Red Warriors’ season seemed lost.

True enough when the UAAP rolled around they struggled throughout the first round, barely hanging in there at 4-3 to end the first round of eliminations. Without the insurance provided by Martinez’s strong long range shooting, the Warriors were finding it tough grinding it out against the better teams. Reigning champion Ateneo De Manila overcame a 17-point first half deficit to wallop the Warriors. FEU, their summer tormentors, also proved steadier going into the end-game. UST showed it could summon the winners within in a drag out match. All three teams are now currently in solid Final 4 positions entering the close-out phase of the eliminations.

Paul Lee was having a whale of a time trying to get through defenses. He could still slash and attack the basket, but without Martinez to provide the outside threat defenses simply collapsed all around him, forcing him to kick the ball out in awkward situations. Elmer Espiritu and Pari Llagas had defenses build walls around them at the low blocks. Espiritu may have improved his jumpshot but that was clearly not his game. Rudy Linganay might have felt Martinez’s absence the most, as he was now thrust into unfamiliar territory, that of being the lead pointguard on a contender, and he found himself at times forcing the action in transition trying to do too much in the first round.

UE also had to survive two overtime games, one against Adamson and the other against UP. They can thank their lucky stars both of those teams have some difficulty when it comes to closing out crucial games. Were it not for the heads-up plays of Lee and Linganay versus the Falcons, and then Val Acuna against the Fighting Maroons, the Warriors could just as easily have wound up 2-5 instead of 4-3 in Round 1.

Then the second round came around, and UE seemed transformed. They got back at FEU with a sound 87 – 72 beat-down of the Tamaraws. They outlasted Lasalle 66 – 64 in a game whereupon the Final 4 fortunes of both teams hinged. They nearly pulled a fast one on Ateneo, scoring furiously in the last two minutes and a half of their Round 2 match. Eventually however the Blue Eagles settled for the 80 – 75 squeaker. UE was transformed in the second round. Llagas was the top scorer against the Tamaraws (24) and the Green Archers (22). He got plenty of help from Espiritu, Lee and Linganay. Espiritu has been at his best going after shots and collaring down rebounds. He might not have gone a single game thus far without a dunk. It has been expected that the power-leaping forward would get at least one of his patented alley-oop dunks in any given game. More than the highlights it has been his shotblocking that has done more for the Red and White. He almost singlehandedly made certain FEU and Lasalle would not be getting any shots in the dying minutes of both victories for UE.

Lee, Linganay, Raffy Reyes, Acuna, Lucas Tagarda and Paul Zamar have been like a hive of hornets. They are by no means the most highly touted perimeter in the league, but they have gotten the job done. Lee can score from anywhere, and when he gets on a streak he is nearly impossible to contain. Acuna has been firing mainly blanks, but even when he misses his first eight or nine shots, it has been the one or two that go down that save the wins for UE. He did precisely that against UP in Round 1, and FEU in Round 2. Reyes, Tagarda and Zamar have been pesky defenders and sneaky rebounders, and they have been absolute pains in transition for opposing teams. Their speed and unbelievable springs allow them to play bigger than their actual size.

“Players win games,” said head coach Lawrence Chongson, the league newcomer. Chongson has had a couple of years in the PBL recently with the Lucio Tan-owned franchises, but the UAAP is totally new to him. He has always been a maverick of sorts, with the long hair, head band and highlights to go with the “emo” fashions on the sidelines. Barely any one in the UAAP wanted to take him seriously when he was named UE head coach after Dindo Pumaren was let go. He was not exactly a known commodity, and he wasn’t collecting championships in the PBL. Now he is turning heads, and it isn’t just the hair or the clothes. “We just stick to the game plan, we practice and prepare for each game, no big secret at all,” he explained.

In the homestretch of the eliminations and as of this writing, the Red Warriors need just two more victories to ensure they make the Final 4 without a hitch. “Laban lang ng laban, importante makaabot sa Final 4, one game at a time gaya ng sabi ni Coach,” Llagas said in one post-game interview. At the rate they are going that does not sound like it should be too much of a problem.