IT’S something that’s expected from someone who just lost a sudden-death game with a PBA Finals berth on the line.
“I feel terrible,” Barangay Ginebra coach Tim Cone said following the team’s 100-93 loss to the San Miguel Beermen in the deciding Game 7 of their PBA Philippine Cup semifinals on a rainy Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“But that’s the way it goes.”
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Truly, it was a shocking loss suffered by the Kings, who were in total control of the match, 73-62, late in the third period until the Beermen went on a scoring rampage to start the final quarter and turn the game around for good.
The quintet of June Mar Fajardo, Chris Ross, Don Trollano, Jericho Cruz, and Rodney Brondial went on a huge 19-4 run in five-minutes span as the Beermen finally took the driver’s seat, 81-77.
The Kings never regained the lead after that as San Miguel proved steady down the stretch to arrange a title showdown with the TNT Tropang 5G.
Cone thought, Ginebra let the game slip away.
“We had a chance to put the game away in the third quarter. We could have stretched the lead, but we let down,” he said.
But gracious in defeat, the Ginebra coach lauded Ross and the entire San Miguel Beer team for not backing down and keeping their composure.
His biggest compliment though, was reserved for eighth-time MVP June Mar Fajardo, who was a monster on both ends of the floor with 21 points, 19 rebounds, and two block shots in 42 minutes of play despite suffering from cramps late in the first half.
“June Mar played for 42 minutes on one leg. You just have to tip your hat (to him),” said Cone.
Cone not in the mood
With Ginebra failing to advance to a third straight finals in Season 49, Cone can now focus solely on preparing Gilas Pilipinas in its coming FIBA Asia Cup campaign.
The champion coach understandably wasn't in the mood to talk about it now.
“I don’t want to even talk about that right now. That’s not on my mind,” he said.
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