COACH Tim Cone of defending champion Ginebra was clearly flabbergasted when he emerged from the Kings’ dugout two nights back. Can’t blame him.
“We tried to stay with them (San Miguel Beermen). We stayed with them, but they made the plays down the stretch, and we didn’t make the plays down the stretch,” Cone said. “Basically, that was the game. We are going to look at the video and see what needs to be adjusted. I liked our effort. We didn’t play a sharp game. We can play sharper than that.
“Obviously, San Miguel can play sharper than that as well. I just like the way our guys stuck in the game despite not playing up to what we felt was up to par, and gave ourselves a chance to win, but came up short,” he added.
Cone spoke after Ginebra absorbed a heart-rending 90-92 loss to SMB in Game 1 of their best-of-5 semifinals duel in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
The pro league’s winningest and two-time grand slam champion coach likened this batch of the Beermen to past SMB squads that featured the so-called “Death Five” of reigning seven-time MVP June Mar Fajardo, Marcio Lassiter, Chris Ross, and former mainstays Arwind Santos and Alex Cabagnot.
“We just have to pay a little bit more attention to detail. We are going to try to find a way to beat this good team, tough team. They have a lot of different kinds of weapons. They got their own version of the ‘Death Five,’ except that Boatwright is playing Arwind Santos,” Cone said.
“It’s like Arwind and June Mar together and the ‘Death Five’ except Boatwright is five inches taller, 30 pounds heavier, and shoots his ball as well as Arwind did. Just makes our job even harder.”
The loss came on the heels of the Kings’ 106-93 whipping of the NorthPort Batang Pier in their quarterfinals tiff last Friday.
The Beermen stretched their winning streak to seven dating back to the eliminations, counting a 127-122 decision over the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters last week in the Last Eight.
Cone’s claims are not unfounded.
CJ Perez shone for SMB with a game-high 26 points, to go with five rebounds, and three assists, while Boatwright also notched 23 markers, 12 boards, and five dimes.
Fajardo also had 18 and nine, while Don Trollano added 10 points and two caroms as the Beermen moved within a win of reaching the Big Dance of the season-opening tilt.
What gnaws at Cone is another pick your poison scenario in Game 2 tonight at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.
“CJ had a great game. When you put so much focus on June Mar, to defend June Mar, and now we have to defend Boatwright, and they have other guys who can step up,” he said. “Terrence didn’t play (due to an ankle injury). I assume he might come back. But he might be the next guy to step up. Or Marcio. Or Chris. Or Trollano.
“They have a lot of weapons. That’s kinda like the choices you make. Focus on June Mar and Boatwright, and someone else is going to beat you.”