Qualls says sorry

I would say that they were just hungrier than we were. Everybody played well.

NorthPort import Michael Qualls apologized for not providing the leadership that the Batang Pier needed when Barangay Ginebra tore them apart in Game 2 of the 2019 Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Governors’ Cup best-of-five semifinal series.

Qualls was held to just 20 points, his lowest output in the conference, and failed to get his teammates involved.

After an impressive 124-90 shellacking of the Gin Kings in Game 1, NorthPort absorbed the same kind of beating in the next game, 88-113, to send the series into a best-of-three affair.

And Qualls knew that their effort was not enough to challenge Ginebra in Game 2.

“No excuses. The whole (Ginebra) team played well. They were ready for the game and everybody played well. If you look at (Justin) Brownlee, having only 15 points and yet they still won by a large margin showed that their team played great,” Qualls said.

“We weren’t complacent. I would say that they were just hungrier than we were. Everybody played well. They outhustled us. We are the underdogs so we’re supposed to be the ones to outhustle the other team. We’ve got to be the enforcers. We’ve got to dictate the tempo,” he added.

Batang Pier shocked the favored Ginebra in Game 1 with a 124-90 demolition with Qualls, Christian Standhardinger and Garvo Lanete delivering the knockout blows.

Qualls had 38 points and 15 rebounds, Standhardinger finished with 16 markers and 15 boards while Lanete contributed 24 markers, 21 in the fourth period to complete the rout.

But the trio was completely silent in Game 2 and combined for only 35 points.

Qualls said their chance to reclaim the series will start from him and he needs to lead by example.

“I just got to hit the open shots. The team depends on me to score so I have to deliver to put us in a better situation and everybody else will follow. I have to play with more energy and I have to be the leader,” Qualls said.

“I feel like we should take our time, even though we’re getting denied. I can still take the ball in the last five seconds and still be able to create.”