GINEBRA coach Tim Cone’s Kings were hobbling in their bid to finish off the San Miguel Beermen last Sunday night.
When all the dust settled, Cone’s charges got the job done.
“I was telling Mav (Ahanmisi), we were limping to the finish line,” Cone said after Ginebra fashioned a nail-biting 102-99 victory over SMB in Game 6 of their best-of-7 semifinals duel in the PBA Governors’ Cup.
“We just didn’t have anything left. Really worried that we weren’t gonna be able to pull that one out and then we had to go to a Game 7. So, just really thankful we’re not going to a Game 7,” he added.
The win allowed the Kings to forge a best-of-7 finals rematch with the defending champions TNT Tropang Giga.
TNT had a seemingly easier path to the titular showdown after it ousted Rain or Shine in the Last Four in just five matches.
Game 1 of the race-to-4 title series is set this Sunday, Oct. 27, at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.
Ranged against an equally formidable Beermen crew, Cone admitted their foes gave them fits.
“It took every little ounce of whatever we had left to win tonight. It just took a long toll on all of us and them too. I mean, I gotta give credit to coach Jorge (Gallent) for being able to keep that team together,” Cone said. “They had to go through the (quarterfinals) wringer with Converge and then they had to play the EASL game, and they had to come and play us.
“That was our edge throughout the whole series, the fact that we had a little bit more energy than they did.”
Ahanmisi rifled in 25 points while resident import Justin Brownlee chimed in 21 markers, seven rebounds, and seven assists.
The likes of Japeth Aguilar, rookie RJ Abarrientos, and former MVP Scottie Thompson also did their share with 20, 16, and 10 points, respectively, for the Kings who came off a 121-92 drubbing of SMB in the fifth game last Friday.
Cone heaped praises on Gallent for guiding the Beermen, who bagged the crown in last season’s season-opening Commissioner’s Cup.
“I know that people talk about their talent, but you have to have a guy that’s gonna put that talent together and make things happen,” Cone said.
“Coach Leo (Austria) did it for a long time and now coach Jorge is continuing that, so hats off to them for being as good as they are all the time.”
Reinforcement EJ Anosike paced SMB with 30 points, nine boards, and five dimes while reigning eight-time MVP June Mar Fajardo added 22 markers and 15 boards.
Marcio Lassiter and CJ Perez also got 16 and 13 points, respectively, for the Beermen.
“It was putting all of our eggs in one basket and really going for it,” he said. “We’re just saying ‘No to Game 7.’”
Like in the semis, Cone is hoping Ginebra will reach the Promised Land without needing sudden death.
