Eastern head coach Mensur Bajromovic can finally heave a sigh of relief as his team finally gets the much-needed break after a hectic schedule that saw the Hong Kong-based squad juggle its time playing in three different leagues.

Aside from the PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup, Eastern is playing games in its own domestic league in Hong Kong as well as the East Asia Super League.

This week alone, the team has played four games including two games against San Miguel in the EASL and in the PBA.

For Bajromovic, it’s a huge bonus that the team managed to win both and even came out of the grueling schedule still at the second spot of the standings with a 6-2 slate, just half a game behind league-leading NorthPort.

“We had like four games in this week from 15 until now including two games against San Miguel. It’s not easy to beat any team twice in a row especially San Miguel which is a very good team. 

“My players are tired for sure and obviously it was in the last game where we lost but we have analyzed this game and they show good reaction today. We have Christmas break now and everybody is happy to have some days off,” said the veteran Serbian coach.

Even in the 99-91 victory over San Miguel, Eastern still had to earn it after a back-and-forth affair late in regulation and in overtime. The wards of Bajramovic, led by Glen Yang, fortunately had enough legs to pull it through in the end

“End of the game, nothing special happened. We just missed our open shots, that's why they came back. We got open shots but we missed it  and that’s why the game went to overtime,” explained Bajramovic

But in OT, they found the special power inside them, defensively they also did it well and finally we won,” he added.

Yang echoed the same sentiments, saying that the hectic schedule indeed got the better of the team especially during the loss against NorthPort.

“The travel schedule got to us last game,  no excuses, but we definitely felt it and you can see that defensively in our game,” said Yang.

“But coach, in the game that we played against San Miguel last time he showed our defense and what we are capable of. So we know we’re gonna bring it tonight. Yesterday, we got a little rest and I think we showed more who we really are tonight,” he commented.