Time for redemption

Ginebra San Miguel import Vernon Macklin would rather forget about his nightmarish showing against Talk ‘N’ Text at the SM Mall of Asia last April 14. It isn’t something worth storing in his memory bank.

Macklin finished with only 12 points and nine rebounds, way below his usual numbers. Coach Alfrancis Chua gave him the chance to play as Macklin logged 47 minutes, meaning he only took a one-minute rest the entire game. He shot 3-of-12 from the floor and struggled with five turnovers. Worse, Macklin was outdueled by the Texters’ newly-arrived import Jerome Jordan who finished with 23 points, 17 rebounds and two blocked shots in 39 minutes. Worst, Talk ‘N’ Text walloped Ginebra, 100-86.

Since the setback, Macklin has been on a redemption roll. He broke out of his shell to average 22.5 points in leading Ginebra to two straight wins over Rain Or Shine in the quarterfinals, overcoming a twice- to- beat handicap to advance to the semifinals against, you guessed it, Talk ‘N’ Text.

Chua couldn’t stop heaping lavish praise on Macklin after the second victory over the Painters, an 81- 79 squeaker last Monday. Macklin delivered 24 points, 16 rebounds and six assists in a dominant role. He sank the putback to tie the count then hit two free throws to push Ginebra on top and preserved the lead by swatting away Jeff Chan’s layup that would’ve sent it into overtime if converted.

Chua confided that Macklin had family issues back in the US, a custody problem and a health concern about his child. For a while, it looked like Macklin would give up his job in the PBA to stand by his family. Chua even offered to fly Macklin home and keep his spot in the lineup open.

“We were ready to play without an import for a game until he comes back,” said Chua. His idea was to impress on Macklin how much he is valued by the team. It was Chua’s way of motivating Macklin to give his all for a coach who believes in him. Even when Meralco resorted to the Hack-A-Mack strategy in a previous game, Chua refused to pull out his import.

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“I remember our import Jackson Vroman last season,” said Chua. “Other teams went to the Hack-A-Jack strategy and it killed his confidence from the line. At practice, he was okay shooting free throws but not during a game. It didn’t help that we kept him on the bench when we thought he would be fouled deliberately to take free throws. With Vernon, I decided to keep him in the game. I wanted to show my trust, faith and confidence even if he was shooting 46 percent from the line. It paid off. When we needed him to make free throws against Rain Or Shine, he made them.”

Macklin led Ginebra to a 107- 100 win over Talk ‘N’ Text in their first encounter this conference last March 17 but Mark Caguioa was still in harness and the league’s top local scorer fired 28 points. Macklin had 24 points, nine rebounds and four assists. The Tropa’s import was then Donnell Harvey who was eventually replaced by Jordan.

While Macklin has been on a tear, Jordan is in a slump. Since the game against Ginebra, Jordan has averaged 13.3 points and 8.3 rebounds, nothing to crow about. On a bright note, the Texters have won their last two outings, both over Petron, 100-93 and 96-86. In the two games, Jordan compiled 11 points and five boards. Coach Norman Black managed to sweep Petron despite Jordan’s anemic showing.

Tonight, Ginebra and Talk ‘N’ Text begin their best-of-five semifinal series at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. It’ll be a rematch between Macklin and Jordan. Ginebra fans are hoping Macklin will show up Jordan this time while the Tropa is banking on Jordan regaining the form that flustered the Kings in their last battle.

Both teams are coming off back-to-back wins so their confidence level is sky-high. The Texters are back to their winning ways after a so-so 7-7 record in the eliminations. It’s not often that the Tropa enters the playoffs at the bottom half of the standings but that’s how the Texters stood at the end of the eliminations, settling for No. 6. Talk ‘N’ Text has rediscovered its offensive flow, scoring at least 93 points in its last five wins. Although Jordan isn’t producing big numbers, he’s backed up by a solid local supporting unit. Five locals scored in twin digits in the first playoff win over Petron and four in the second as Black parlayed a balanced attack into a winning formula.

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The Texters’ X-factor is hard-nosed guard Ryan Reyes. He averaged 15 points in the two wins over Petron and is the team’s No. 1 defender. Reyes will make life difficult for L. A. Tenorio in the semis. Ranidel de Ocampo is Black’s most reliable gunner Ð he has scored in double figures in the last seven contests. With Kelly Williams’ exit, De Ocampo has filled in at four and is still deadly at three. Ali Peek’s re-emergence from sickbay is another plus for Black as he consistently provides quality minutes on both ends. Larry Fonacier has hit in twin digits only once in his last seven games so he’s due for a breakout which is bad news for Ginebra. Jayson Castro and Jimmy Alapag will run the show from the backcourt.

For Ginebra, Macklin has to play above par. Kerby Raymundo, Tenorio, Josh Urbiztondo and Jay-Jay Helterbrand will carry the local cudgels for Chua. If they’re able to neutralize the Tropa’s locals, the way is wide open for Macklin to steal the series. Rudy Hatfield, Mac Baracael and Billy Mamaril are hard workers and their tenacity will be key in keeping Ginebra in the thick of things.