Pasig ready for World Tour challenge

Angelo Tsagarakis

Fresh from their success at the Chooks Pilipinas 3x3 President's Cup and the FIBA 3x3 Asia-Pacific Super Quest, the Pasig-Grindhouse Kings believe they are ready for the upcoming FIBA 3x3 World Tour Masters in Doha.

President's Cup MVP Joshua Munzon shares, "That's our first taste of international competition. I think that made us ready for the physicality of the game."

Taylor Statham adds, "The President's Cup was something that helped us understand the 3x3 game. The Super Quest was a whole other level."

If they think they are ready, the two reinforcements for the Kings sort of think otherwise.

Nikola Pavlovic, who helped Novi Sad win three World Tour Masters titles, says "The level is completely different from here and the way of playing basketball is completely different from here. It's going to be much more physical. It's more deliberate basketball."

Angelo Tsagarakis adds, "Doha is gonna be a learning experience and a slap to the face. Whatever they faced in the Super Quest is nothing compared to what we will face in Doha." He also shares, "Nikola knows -- he won the Utsonomiya [2017 World Tour Masters] leg. He understands what we are going to face."He has to bring his level higher, we all need to do it."

The Frenchman continued, "I don't think the guys realize yet the intensity that we are going to face in Doha."

Knowing that they have to give it their all at the World Tour Masters, he concludes, "We can't base things on what we did and did not do during the Super Quest. We got to think much higher and much further. We need to fight for everything than what we have already done. If there's one thing I know about sports in general, it's about the heart that you bring during each competition. Things your team is missing can compensate with heart. That's the main thing we can bring right now."

The Kings, along with the Bataan Risers, have a couple of practice sessions left before departing for the Qatar capital on Tuesday night.