Bay Area coach tells Brgy. Ginebra: ‘Fill that stadium, I want to hit back’

Still smarting from a lopsided loss to Brgy. Ginebra in the opener of the best-of-seven championship series in the PBA Season 47 Commissioner’s Cup, Bay Area coach Brian Goorjian expressed his eagerness to get back at the crowd darlings.

During a guesting at SPIN.POV, the multi-titled international coach vowed to return the favor and play with more physicality in Game 2.

“We’re going to bring a little bit something on Game 2, man. Fill that stadium. I want to hit back. We want to hit back,” said Goorjian who attended the online show together with imports Andrew Nicholson and Myles Powell.

“We want to do something special so the stage is set, so just fill up that stadium, and make something really special on Wednesday night,” he added.

‘Hitting back’, however, does not mean the guest team will engage in dirty tactics but instead will employ the same kind of physicality that the Gin Kings displayed in the Finals opener.

“We’re not talking dirt. We’re just talking about using what everybody does. The referees, this is how the game is called, no problem. We want to learn and take what we can and can’t do,” explained the concurrent coach of Australia’s national basketball team.

“You know, can you put an arm bar on the guy? Can you put two hands on him? Are you allowed to walk on his path and body check him? We played 12 games here and that wasn’t how we (were) played. But no one tried it.”

The Gin Kings held the Dragons to their lowest output in the conference – 81 points on 30-of-78 (38%) shooting from the field with the high-scoring Nicholson managing to contribute ‘only’ 27 points in 39 minutes of play.

“Wherever Andrew went to run, he (Standhardinger) steps in front and body checked him. So if I’m running from the half court to the basket, even if he’s behind, he’ll run and get in front of him,” said Goorjian on Brgy. Ginebra’s defensive scheme on their American reinforcement.

“When he (Nicholson) went to grind down the floor, he (Standhardinger) popped him. You know, just step in front, body check. Step in front, body check, step in front, body check. And I hadn’t played against that before,” he added.

“If we’re going to win this thing, we got to give Andrew Nicholson some touches and be able to play off him.”