TIM Cone and Chot Reyes face off in the PBA Finals for the first time in 12 years after Barangay Ginebra arranged a championship duel with the TNT Tropang Giga for the Governors’ Cup championship.
The Gin Kings defeated San Miguel, 102-99, last Sunday in Game Six of their semifinal series, setting up a clash with the Tropang Giga for the title, and a rare coaching match-up between good friends Cone and Reyes.
The two have previously met in the PBA Finals six times, but haven’t faced each other since the 2012 Commissioner’s Cup – the epic Denzel Bowles game where his two free throws late in regulation helped B-Meg defeat Talk ‘N Text, 90-84, in Game Seven on May 6, 2012.
READ Ginebra outduels SMB in Game Six thriller, makes PBA Finals
Cone and Reyes will also meet for the first time for a PBA title since Cone took over the Gilas Pilipinas coaching job from Reyes after the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
“We are really just happy that we are back in and going to pit against my good friend coach Chot again,” said Cone after Game Six. “There’s always been that rivalry between Ginebra and Talk ‘N Text. Looking forward to mixing it up with my buddy.”
Their friendship go way back during the 1990s when Reyes was Cone’s assistant coach with Alaska, and are 3-3 in their finals series against each other prior to this season’s Governors’ Cup.
Reyes won their first title duel during the 1994 Commissioner’s Cup when he guided Purefoods to a victory over Alaska, but Cone got back at Reyes in the 1996 All-Filipino Cup with the first of Alaska’s grand slam titles.
Cone also won the 2003 Invitational Cup and the 2007 Fiesta Cup for Alaska, with Reyes capturing the 2002 All-Filipino Cup with Coca-Cola and the 2008-09 Philippine Cup with Talk ‘N Text.
It will actually be the first time that Cone will take on Reyes in the finals as Ginebra coach. TNT and Ginebra met in the 2023 Governors’ Cup finals, but Jojo Lastimosa was the coach at that time as Reyes focused on his role as Gilas Pilipinas coach.
On Sunday though, Cone said the only thing on his mind was overcoming San Miguel.
The Ginebra coach said one of the talking points of the team prior to the match was the 2024 Philippine Cup where they lost a Game Seven to eventual champion Meralco in the semifinals.
“Last time we were in the semis, we led 3-2, and then we let Game Six slip away from us and then, we lost in Game Seven and they (Meralco) went on to win the championship. No doubt that was on our minds coming into this Game Six. We certainly didn’t want to play a Game Seven against a team like San Miguel.”
“It was putting all of our eggs in one basket and really going for it. We’re just saying ‘No to Game 7,’” said Cone.
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