Austria does his homework as Beermen enter testy stretch
San Miguel coach Leo Austria went the other way while his players headed for Ynares Center’s back exit on Sunday night.
“I’m going to stay for a bit and watch the [second] game,” he told the Inquirer, deadpan, referring to visiting Hong Kong’s clash with crowd darling Barangay Ginebra at the hilltop venue in Antipolo City.
Austria was just fresh off steering the Beermen to a 115-102 triumph over Blackwater—a victory that finally gave San Miguel a winning streak after struggling early in the Commissioner’s Cup.
The back-to-back wins would’ve been enough prompt for the 66-year-old Austria to take things easy, especially after a whirlwind week that saw him back at the helm.
But that’s a risk he wasn’t going to take. Especially with the kind of schedule that awaits the Beermen.
San Miguel is scheduled to play the guest club Eastern twice—first on the latter’s home turf this Wednesday in the East Asia Super League, and then at PhilSports Arena in Pasig City this coming Sunday. After the Yuletide break, the Beermen get back to work on Jan. 5 to take on the Gin Kings, followed by Magnolia, Meralco and then red-hot NorthPort.
“You know, the last two games were very important to build my confidence,” he said. “I know the players. Whatever [team] they’re up against, they’ll play. But for someone who took over all of a sudden? It’s difficult. So I consider myself lucky to have won the past two games.”
Six tough games
Austria said that while the wins over Terrafirma and Blackwater were morale boosters, those matches are actually the primer the squad needs for games before they are thoroughly tested—which will be the team’s next six matches.
“Our game plans were followed in these [two] games,” he said. “And slowly, [the players] are realizing that they have to treat each game like a playoff game.”
While Austria was optimistic about how San Miguel’s been faring thus far, he also knows the perils of reintroducing concepts to a squad that has gone through tweaks for nearly two years that he was not calling the shots.
Before Austria returned to his post, San Miguel acquired Juami Tiongson and Andreas Cahilig. The Beermen also picked up Kris Rosales from free agency in the offseason and tabbed Avan Nava in the Rookie Draft that brought the total of newcomers to four.
