IT’S a loss that's not easy to swallow for a coach as decorated as Tim Cone.
The Barangay Ginebra mentor was at a loss for words after the Kings were blown away by the Meralco Bolts, 91-73, in the PBA Philippine Cup on Friday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
READ Resurgent Meralco deals Ginebra its first loss in PH Cup
“Embarrassing. That’s all I’ve got to say,” said Cone, who surprisingly was among the last to emerge from the Ginebra dugout.
And who wouldn’t be?
The Kings never led in the game and fell by as many as 31 points (71-40) late in the third period on the way to suffering their first loss of the conference after winning their first two outings.
“We’re just absolutely embarrassed from moment one to moment 40. Forty eight minutes,” Cone emphasized.
“I don’t have answers to any questions. I don’t know what the hell happened.”
The Kings shot just 33 percent (20-of-60) from the floor compared to Meralco’s 42 percent (35-of-83). And while they outrebounded the Bolts, 50-46, they had lesser assists at 20-11.
Maverick Ahanmisi had 14 points to pace Barangay Ginebra, while Christian Standhardinger and Japeth Aguilar each had 13 points.
Jamie Malonzo, who averaged 24.5 points and a 42 percent shooting clip from beyond the arc in the team’s first two games, was held to just four points on 2-of-10 shooting including 0-for-5 from three-point range. He had eight rebounds, but committed a team-high six out of Ginebra’s 19 turnovers.
“It’s an embarrassing night. We just hope this doesn’t define us,” said Cone of the blowout loss.
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.
