Powerade coach Perasol takes blame for Tigers' loss

Powerade coach Bo Perasol was humble enough to admit that it was his fault why the Tigers are staring at a 0-1 deficit in their PBA Philippine Cup semifinals series with Rain or Shine. "Obviously, it wasn't really their (Powerade players) fault," Perasol said. "It was my accountability. I have to make adjustments during the game." The Powerade mentor was referring to the obvious—the Tigers allowed themselves to be buried by Rain or Shine for 71 points in the second half—a season and record-tying output. The Elasto Painters' avalanche of points wiped out the Tigers' 15-point first half lead and paved the way for Rain or Shine's huge 114-97 win in the opener of the best-of-seven series. "For sure they have something in store for us on Friday," said Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao, as he braced for Game Two at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum. "We have to keep on focusing on our defense. It's important to capitalize on our momentum and prevent them from getting theirs. We expect them to bounce back so we need to work harder than we did the last game." Other than the needed adjustments, Perasol pointed out to two other critical areas where the Tigers need to improve if they are to bounce back in the series. "If we keep on committing turnovers and missing shots, then I think we don't stand a chance," Perasol said. Powerade committed 21 turnovers to Rain or Shine's 12, with seven of them courtesy of main man Gary David. The Tigers also shot just 39 percent on the floor (35-of-88), with David making just 8-of-22 from the field despite finishing with a game-high 30 points. They also need to get production from David's supporting crew, especially rookie Marcio Lassiter, who only scored two points on 1-of-7 shooting. But Perasol is confident the Tigers will be a much better team the next time around. "We will be better. We did some adjustments but no major ones. We are going to work hard to equalize the series." — JVP, GMA News