TO say Tim Cone was disappointed in Barangay Ginebra's loss against Meralco in their do-or-die encounter is an understatement. He felt he not only let his team down, but also disappointed the countless Ginebra fans.
It felt so different. Ginebra has always been in the finals and not being there gives Cone and the team a kind of funky feeling.
That the team lost Game 7 when the mantra of never-say-die would have kicked in at this particular moment, added to the team and their fans' disappointment.
Game 7 went to the Meralco Bolts, 78-69, at the FPJ Arena in San Jose, Batangas, by outplaying the Gin Kings. Instead of Ginebra rising to the occasion, it was its opponents who showed resolve and determination to earn a trip to the finals against San Miguel Beer.
READ Meralco rookie Brandon Bates comes of age with a Game 7 to remember
Significantly, It was the first Game 7 win for Meralco and the first Game 7 loss for Cone whose team failed to advance in the 2012 Governors' Cup finals between B-Meg and Rain or Shine.
"For Ginebra and our fans, it's championship or bust. So when we come up short, it's crushing to all of us," Cone admitted two days after the Kings fell short of making the PBA Philippine Cup finals.
San Miguel and Meralco begin their best-of-seven series title series on Wednesday.
In the aftermath of the loss, Cone admitted it was hard to find positives in the series.
But he mentioned the outstanding play of Christian Standhardinger, the persistence of the injured Scottie Thompson, and the exemplary game of team captain LA Tenorio who was coming off a battle with cancer.
"Christian did a great job of carrying us through the conference, showing that he is one of the elite players in the league," said Cone of the veteran Fil-German.
Standhardinger averaged 22 points, 9. 5 rebounds, and 5.0 assists for the Kings in the series, and scored a career-high 41 points in Game 6 of the seven-game series, a game which Ginebra unfortunately lost.
But he was held to just 16 points, eight rebounds, and four assists in the Game 7 loss, held to 6-of-17 shooting from the floor and 4-of-12 from the foul line.
Cone also praised Thompson, the former league MVP, who struggled the entire series as he played through a back injury.
"Scottie displayed his character by playing through a debilitating bulging disc in his back," Cone noted.
Thompson averaged 8.0 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 3.3 assists, but played his best during Game 7 as he finished with 20 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists as he tried to rally the Kings back, but to no avail.
'Great PBA stories'
And Tenorio?
Despite playing for limited minutes, Cone said he was just happy seeing his long-time captain back in the pink of health a year after being diagnosed with colon cancer.
"Having LA back in the lineup and healthy was one of the great PBA stories," said Cone of the 39-year-old guard.
This marked the first time Barangay Ginebra won't be in a conference final in a PBA season since 2016
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