Tim Cone unhappy with Purefoods despite first win: 'We've become kampante'

 

Purefoods coach Tim Cone was not happy with his team's performance despite shaking off a Halloween scare from Globalport, 81-75, berating the Hotshots for living too much in past glories and playing complacent basketball.

 

"It didn't seem like a win today," the coach greeted reporters waiting for him for the post-game press conference. Cone arrived a little later than usual, explaining that he had forgotten his team actually won.

 

Purefoods started slow and found themselves down 40-24 at halftime, before slowly coming back to overtake Globalport well into the fourth quarter. It was the first win of the conference for the Hotshots, who were stunned by Alaska and San Miguel in the previous games.

 

"It's a danger zone for us because our team is at that stage where we have to have something bad happen to us to get us angry or get us going or get us moving," Cone said.

 

The coach said he wanted to break the "bad habit" of his team before they face seasoned squads Ginebra and Rain or Shine.

 

"You fall behind by 12 or 16, it's 'see you.' You're gone," he said. "We aren't gonna be able to battle back from those good teams."

 

Cone, who lost the services of superstar James Yap and Ian Sangalang for this game due to injuries, did not want to blame the absence of key players for their poor performance and instead took it out on his team's complacency.

 

"We have great chemistry on our team. Guys get along, there's a little it of comfortability that's going on," he said.

 

"That's a big part of our success but also can be a part of our downfall because we are so relaxed and comfortable and happy that we've become kampante."

 

The coach said that Purefoods is having a hard time getting over their Grand Slam championship last season.

 

"At half time I came in screaming, when is last year going to end?'" Cone said.

 

"We got to figure out how to shake ourselves out of this right now." — JST, GMA News