TIM Cone isn’t putting too much into one of Barangay Ginebra’s worst defeats in PBA Finals history, stressing the Kings just have to move on and be ready for make-or-break Game Six of the Season 49 Governors’ Cup title series against TNT.
Whether the Kings lost by a single point or by 27 as was the case in their 99-72 blowout setback in Game five on Wednesday night, Cone said it isn’t the end of the road in the team's quest for a firstPBA title since the 2022 Commissioner's Cup.
READ TNT a win away from title repeat after Game 5 blowout vs Ginebra
The Tropang Giga now lead the best-of-seven championship series, 3-2.
“It’s one game in a series, it’s not ‘the series’ and my job is to win a series and not to win one game,” said Cone as he emerged from the Ginebra dugout at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“It’s the same as losing a 30-point game, and losing a one-point game,” the Ginebra coach added. “Actually, it doesn’t matter that we lost by 30 points. Bottom line is we lost. You’d still be talking to me if we lost by one point or we lost by 30. So it’s the same thing.”
The 27-point defeat was the worst for the Ginebra franchise in six years, or since the team lost to San Miguel in Game 3 of the 2018 Commissioner’s Cup, 132-94, according to PBA chief statistician Fidel Mangonon.
Incidentally, Ginebra went on to win that series and the title in six games.
But Cone lamented the Kings appeared worn out going to the game after winning back-to-back matches to tie the series at 2-2.
“We looked overly tired tonight even though we had a two-day break. We looked overly tired, we weren’t moving well,” he said.
Now, the Kings need to win two in a row against the Tropang Giga if they are to regain the same title they lost to the same franchise last year.
And that’s certainly not lost on the 66-year-old champion coach.
“Now our backs are to the wall and we have to come out with a little bit of desperation in Game 6,” he said. “No one feels about losing a game like this than me. But we just got to move on, get ready for Game 6 and see what we can do.”
The Big Dome will still be the venue for Friday night’s game.
If necessary, Game 7 is going to be on Sunday at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.
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.
