Tim Cone braces for tough Meralco stand in Game 6
Sudden slumps, bumps and slides in the previous games might now serve Barangay Ginebra in good stead as the Gin Kings have all those precious lessons to ponder as they try to hold on to a pivotal 3-2 lead and go for the kill versus the Meralco Bolts i
Somehow, Ginebra coach Tim Cone is thankful with all those huge leads they’ve thrown away in the series, hopeful his troops are now well reminded that they can’t budge an inch against an equally strongwilled foe.
Cone and his Gin Kings take their first of two cracks at the PBA Governors Cup championship in Game Six at 7 p.m. tomorrow at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“It’s the first time we’re in the lead in the series. But we’re not good at holding leads in the whole series,” said Cone, recalling the 16point spreads they squandered in yielding Game One (114-109 in overtime) and Game Three (107-103).
The Kings also blew huge bubbles in Games Two and Four, teetering on the brink in each game before surviving to secure the win. They lost a 15-point lead in a flash in Game Two and even had a 32-point slide in Game Four, losing a 16-point margin then falling behind by 16.
Justin Brownlee and his teammates finally pulled a wire-to-wire 92-81 triumph to take the 3-2 series lead before a roaring crowd of nearly 22,000 at the Big Dome Sunday. Even then, they saw a 21-point spread cut down to five entering the final minute of the contest.
The Kings are seemingly consistent at being inconsistent.
Versus the San Miguel Beermen in their best-offive semis, the Kings took the 2-1 lead but had to go through the full distance of the series to eventually make the finals.
“That reminds us that we’re up but we haven’t closed anything,” said Cone. “It’s a lot better than losing (Game Five) but it’s not a guarantee of anything.”
If anything, Cone said what they’ve got is a “slight lead.”
“We won back-toback games but they’re capable of winning back-toback, too,” said Cone, remembering Meralco’s three-game romp from a Game One loss in their semis showdown with TNT KaTropa.
Cone braces for a tough, tough fight from the Bolts in Game Six.
"There is no doubt that Meralco is a great team. Their backs are to the wall. They're a great team with their backs to the wall.
It's one thing if you're playing a lesser team and they had their backs to the wall, you can kind of overcome them,” said Cone.
"But a great team with their backs to the wall – it's really hard to beat," he said. "They're gonna be totally focused and concentrated, and we're just gonna see if we can meet their intensity."
But what’s Ginebra’s winning percentage with the 3-2 lead in a best-ofseven series?
PBA stats chief Fidel Mangonon said the Kings are 3-1 in finals and 5-1 overall in all best-of-seven series (semis and finals) they have played.
Or in four times that the Kings enjoyed the 3-2 lead, thrice they went all the way to bagging the championship. —
Philippine STAR News Service