Phillips Brothers, Nelle remain upbeat despite 0-1 hole in #UAAPSeason86

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Following their loss in the game 1 of UAAP Finals against University of the Philippines, De La Salle University's Michael Phillips, Benjamin Phillips, and Evan Nelle are already looking ahead to the Green Archers' upcoming opportunity to tie series and keep DLSU alive in their hunt for a title. #UAAPSeason86   Full story: https://www.rappler.com/sports/uaap/finals-men-basketball-game-results-up-fighting-maroons-la-salle-green-archers-november-29-2023/

Transcript

00:00 We're now joined by DLSU Green Archers captain Ben Phillips.

00:03 Ben, after a tough loss like that, losing by 30 in the first game of the finals,

00:06 what kind of words are shared in the locker room to quickly get over it

00:10 in the hope of coming back and bouncing back in game two?

00:13 Well, obviously, you know, we were disappointed by that outcome.

00:17 We know that that wasn't the style of basketball that got us to this point.

00:20 So we know that we need to obviously make adjustments for the finals.

00:23 You know, shout out to Coach Gold and his staff.

00:25 They did really well taking away KQ, taking away Nelly.

00:28 So we'll make our adjustments, but we made sure to stay together as a team.

00:31 This is a series for a reason.

00:33 And making sure that obviously there's first finals jitters,

00:35 but we know how to bounce back.

00:37 Seemed like UP up the level in terms of physicality and energy in today's game.

00:41 Do you feel like those are areas that you Green Archers

00:44 weren't able to match and will have to moving forward?

00:46 Obviously. I mean, we were out rebounded, out hustled.

00:49 The 50/50 balls obviously went to UP.

00:51 So we know that those are areas that we need to to really do better on next game.

00:55 So those are the things that, you know, they have finals experience.

00:58 A lot of us, this is our first time.

00:59 So we know that they're up in the level.

01:01 We need to up our level as well.

01:02 All things considered, where is the mentality of the Green Archers

01:06 right now in terms of spirit and belief that they can still win this series?

01:10 It's still high.

01:11 You know, this week, this is just like a boxing match.

01:13 We took the first punch.

01:14 There's still a lot of rounds to go.

01:16 And so we know that we have a game to to force a game three.

01:18 So our mindset right now is is focused on Sunday and our spirits are still high.

01:22 We know what we need to do.

01:23 And we're going to stay together as a team, as a brotherhood.

01:25 Last, Mike, I know it was a tough loss losing by 30 points to UP.

01:28 But do you take some solace in the fact that you personally played well?

01:31 I don't think anything can really make that 30 point loss feel any any worse.

01:38 So me individually, I mean, I didn't really notice my stats,

01:42 my 30 point loss, but what I said earlier,

01:47 like this can either make us or break us, you know, this will really test our character.

01:51 You got to give the most credit to UP.

01:53 They really, really came out with that first blow.

01:56 And so, yeah, from a basketball perspective, what areas of the game

02:00 do you feel UP capitalized on that allowed them to build a big lead against your team?

02:04 UP, they're really, really well at keeping a lead.

02:08 And I think they play.

02:11 They really, really play physical.

02:13 And it's one of the things that we really need to work on.

02:16 I mean, I mean, I played them for so many years.

02:19 There's really no bad blood between the teams,

02:22 but they really just came out and established their authority.

02:25 And so from a basketball perspective, it's how you take that

02:28 and how you respond to it the right way.

02:31 Given the growth of De La Salle University this season,

02:35 this was your first loss after 10 games, I believe.

02:37 So what kind of mentality does your team have to bounce back from this kind of performance?

02:43 We hope to keep the same mentality we had in the first round.

02:46 As much as I hate to lose, that first round really gave us this experience.

02:51 You know, even though we lost, even though this is our first finals loss together,

02:56 it's not our first loss.

02:58 And it's not our first loss against UP.

03:01 And so it's really going to be up to De La Salle, the De La Salle community

03:05 to really, really help and take this loss and make the best we can with it.

03:09 Evan, obviously not the start you guys wanted to the finals,

03:13 not the kind of start you wanted to your first UAP finals.

03:16 But are there some positives you can take away from today's performance?

03:20 It's a series for a reason.

03:22 Lose by 30, lose by one, lose by 100, it's all the same.

03:25 I just think our morale is still OK.

03:28 We're still trusting each other.

03:31 Nothing changed.

03:32 And come later tonight, early tomorrow morning, we've moved on.

03:36 So I think we're still in the fight.

03:42 So come tomorrow, we're going to see our mistakes

03:45 and where we should improve on and what we should do come game two.

03:49 When you think back to one of the areas that you wish you guys changed

03:52 to start this contest, what would you point to?

03:54 I'm a guy who's like, control what you can control.

04:00 So I think my fouls, if I didn't be stupid and just like, you know,

04:04 keep reaching in or doing whatever.

04:07 So I think it would have changed the complex of the game.

04:10 So if I didn't get into foul trouble, I think it would have been different.

04:13 But yeah, it's the game.

04:16 So I have to adjust to whatever the officiating is,

04:20 how the game is played and the momentum of the game.

04:23 I have to adjust to everything.

04:25 As the veteran point guard of this team, what kind of words will you share

04:28 to your teammates to get them to erase the memories of game one

04:31 and look forward to game two?

04:32 It's a series for a reason.

04:34 So nothing, we know what to do.

04:38 We know, you know, deep, deep down, like, you know, within ourselves,

04:42 like we've got what it takes to to come back from this,

04:46 move on from this really quick.

04:49 So it will be fine.

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