San Miguel Beermen’s Mo Tautuaa during Game 2 of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals against TNT Tropang 5G. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines–Count San Miguel Beer coach Leo Austria as one of those impressed with how Mo Tautuaa responded in Game 2 of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals.
After bearing the brunt of a controversial call in Game 1, Tautuaa came out with renewed resolve on Wednesday at Araneta Coliseum and helped power the Beermen’s 98-92 win over TNT to tie the series at 1-1.
HIGHLIGHTS: PBA Philippine Cup Finals Game 2 – San Miguel vs TNT
Austria said Tautuaa clearly wanted to redeem himself after his mishap in the series opener.
“He understood everything, so before the start of the game in the dugout, I asked him if it was okay to start him. He told me, ‘Yes, coach!’ and he rushed to warm up,” said Austria.
“That was a sign, and I knew that he would bounce back. He was a good help for our team tonight.”
READ: PBA Finals: San Miguel gets back at TNT to tie series at 1-1
The bruiser showed his value once again for San Miguel, building on a 10-point performance in Game 1, which would’ve been 12 had his dunk not been controversially overturned.
Tautuaa continued his strong play with 16 points and four rebounds as the Beermen’s starting forward in Game 2.
Austria said they didn’t dwell on the Game 1 incident too much, choosing instead to focus on the bigger picture.
“We didn’t even talk about what happened with his dunk too much… Heck, he even dunked tonight,” Austria said in jest.
“That’s how we handle those kinds of situations. We don’t pressure them because we know how players are. Sometimes when they hear a lot of analysis, it becomes paralysis.”
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Austria hopes Tautuaa continues to be impactful in Game 3 on Friday, still at Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.
