Ginebra gained a quarterfinal berth.
Barangay Ginebra San Miguel coach Tim Cone couldn’t help but tip his hat off to his counterpart in the aftermath of a hard-fought 86-78 win over the TNT Tropang Giga in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
“Coach Jolas (Jojo Lastimosa) coached a hell of a game. It was a grind for us,” said Cone, whose team secured a quarterfinal slot with a 6-3 tally.
Even though they played without prolific import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Jayson Castro, the Tropang Giga made things rough for the Gin Kings, even leading by as much as 13 in the first half and holding a lead throughout the third.
Ginebra struggled mightily against TNT, none more evident in the 3-for-17 clip from the three-point area, which is the team’s lowest percentage from long range this conference.
“They kept changing up things on us, keeping us from our rhythm. We started missing shots and continued all the way through,” he said.
Good thing Ginebra’s defense also showed its teeth, holding TNT to below 90 points for the first time this conference.
That held the fort before Scottie Thompson led an assault that allowed Ginebra to pull away late. His back-to-back three pointers in the final moments put TNT away for good.
“That was good for us. We need to continue to learn how to grind,” Cone said.
Indeed, Ginebra need such games as it gears up for the playoffs. But for now, the rest of the barangay will have to continue celebrating the Yuletide season before action resumes on January 7.
(MDB)