AFTER a lengthy break, Barangay Ginebra and TNT begin their 2023 PBA Governors’ Cup finals series on Easter Sunday at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
The Gin Kings and the Tropang Giga finally battle at 6 p.m., returning to the court several days after they concluded their semifinal series.
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Ginebra clinched a return ticket to the finals after sweeping San Miguel, 87-85, on March 29, while TNT also moved to the championship showdown with a 107-92 victory over Meralco on March 31.
The two clubs got a long respite with the Holy Week, but that didn’t stop them from preparing for the finals. They finally square off on Sunday, hoping that the interval will be beneficial for their side.
“It’s very easy to slip,” said Barangay Ginebra coach Tim Cone. “You come off a semifinal win, you have a big momentum, we have good rhythm, and now, it’s 10 days (break), it’s easy to lose that momentum. You don’t have much time in the series to get it back. It poses its own problems.”
“That’s on us and the team to figure out how to keep moving forward and how to keep not just being sharp but be sharper,” said Cone.
TNT coach Jojo Lastimosa is taking the break positively.
“They’ve been in the finals. Believe it or not, the extra rest is going to help them eventually. For us, there’s always this problem of staying sharp and keeping that edge. But it’s really important how they practice,” said Lastimosa.
As soon as the Ginebra-TNT finals was arranged, one of the storylines have been the coaching match-up between Cone and his former player Lastimosa. The two were part of the Alaska franchise in the 1990s where they won nine championships together including the grand slam in 1996.
“He knows me like the back of his hands,” said Cone.
Focus will also be on the import match-up with Justin Brownlee in search of his seventh title in as many tries for Ginebra against Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, in search of his first-ever professional championship with TNT.
A possible return for injured players Japeth Aguilar (MCL) and Kelly Williams (calf) could also be in the offing as the extended break gave them an additional days of rest.
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