BAY Area is down but not out.
With their backs pushed against the ropes, the Dragons are set to field prolific import Myles Powell anew, vice the injured Andrew Nicholson, in their do-or-die duel with Ginebra.
Even without the 6-foot-10 Nicholson, who suffered a left ankle injury in Game 3, Kings coach Tim Cone admitted his charges have their hands full.
“It’s a tough group, it really is. They’re really well-coached and disciplined,” Cone said after his team downed the foreign guest team 101-91 in Game 5 three days ago. “When we get leads, they don’t panic, and that’s been the hard part for us. They don’t panic when we get leads. We had to keep earning it and earning it.”
Ginebra tries to finish off Bay Area today in Game 6 of their best-of-7 finals battle for the PBA Commissioner’s Cup title before another expected SRO crowd at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The match is set at 5:45 p.m., with the Kings determined to wrap up the race-to-4 series and bag the crown in the same mid-season tourney for the first time since 2018.
A deciding seventh game for all the marbles, if necessary, will be played on Friday at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan.
With LA Tenorio doubtful (groin), Conference top import Justin Brownlee, reigning MVP and Best player of the Conference Scottie Thompson, Japeth Aguilar, Christian Standhardinger, Jamie Malonzo, Stanley Pringle, and Jeremiah Gray are expected to banner Ginebra’s bid.
The Dragons’ decision to tap Powell, who is still recovering from a foot injury, came as a surprise after Bay Area tactician Brian Goorjian previously ruled him out in the Big Dance.
“Myles is a done deal, that isn’t happening. Myles snapped something in his foot. There’s a timeframe on it,” Goorjian said after Game 4.
“He’s been in the weight room. He’s been doing some strength work, but he’s not ready to step on the floor. It’s snapped. He has a six to eight-week proposition and then he needs some practice. He was never an option. Never an option.”
Adding to the woes of Goorjian are the injuries to playmaker Glen Yang (sprained ankle) and Hayden Blankley (ankle).
“For our team, and the way we are put together, Glen is invaluable. That piece, when the pressure was on, on the offensive end, trying to get a good shot, and get through our stuff, missing him was noticeable from a coaching standpoint,” Goorjian said.
“He is the one I always (instruct), ‘Run this set, run this, hey we got to get the ball here.’ He wasn’t there and I miss him.”
The Dragons will pin their hopes on Zhu Songwei, Kobey Lam, Zheng Qilong, and 7-foot-5 center Liu Chuanxing.
