SHOULD the balloons and the confetti fall on Monday night, San Mig and coach Tim Cone should also see a lot of records come tumbling down in their wake.
For San Mig, it's a first-ever grand slam in franchise history - and the first in the PBA in 18 years. For Cone, another milestone as the only coach in pro league history to win more than one 'triple crown' in his career.
Cone, though, is thinking about none of that.
“At this point, we’re just trying to focus on what is directly in front of us - no more, no less,” said Cone, a day before San Mig - up 2-1 in the PBA Governors Cup Finals - attempts to put away Rain or Shine in an 8 p.m. game at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“And we do that by not worrying about the winning or the losing of Game Four. We just want to stay focused and put together the best game we can and hopefully, the result will take care of itself.”
The prospect of becoming just the fourth grand slam team in the league's 39 years may be enticing enough, but Cone said San Mig players can't let that preoccupy their mind in Game Four. Not when they are playing a Rain or Shine team that simply has no quit in it.
“They (Mixers) can’t break this (Rain or Shine) team. They just keep coming at you. They’re too mentally tough. They don’t break, so you got to keep playing possession by possession,” Cone, already the most successful coach in PBA history, said.
Cone pointed out that in the times San Mig managed to build a sizeable lead in the series, Rain or Shine just keeps coming back with single-minded determination that emanates from its coach.
“No matter what kind of lead you get, it doesn’t matter. They’re gonna fight till the end,” Cone warned.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
