Ginebra and San Miguel face off in the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup on Friday, April 25.
As elating as their PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup debut was, Brgy. Ginebra San Miguel simply have no time to celebrate.
Just ask coach Tim Cone.
Right now, Cone and the Gin Kings are bracing for a quick turnaround as they face All-Filipino favorite San Miguel on Friday, April 25.
Eight-time MVP June Mar Fajardo continues to be a puzzle for coaches, even for the most successful PBA mentor in Cone.
“June Mar is always the target. You gotta figure out how you handle him, how much you allow him to dominate the game,” said Cone after his team’s 101-80 drubbing of Terrafirma on Wednesday, April 23.
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Then there’s the formidable SMB supporting cast.
While coach Leo Austria no longer has the "Death Five" — which previously included PBA greats Alex Cabagnot and Arwind Santos — at his disposal, the Beermen are still stacked with the potential to dominate the prestigious conference.
Among San Miguel's local weapons include CJay Perez, a menace on both ends of the floor. There’s also Juami Tiongson, now starting to get comfortable after two conferences with the Beermen.
“We gotta pick our poison with [their] shooters. It’s tough if you have only one day to prepare,” said Cone of the team that wound up as bridesmaids in the Philippine Cup last season.
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