The Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings have the chance to claim championship glory once more as they will finally return to the PBA finals stage.
After falling on their faces in Season 48 — with Ginebra’s streak of winning at least one conference title since Tim Cone became their head coach in 2015 ending in the past season — the Kings now have a shot of reclaiming their crown.
En route to the Finals, Ginebra also gained a measure of revenge against their previous tormentors when they played them in the playoffs of the 2024 PBA Governors’ Cup. They eliminated the Meralco Bolts in the quarterfinals, and showed the mighty San Miguel Beermen the door in the semifinals.
They defeated Meralco — which eliminated them in the Philippine Cup Season 48 in seven — through a three-game sweep. They then ousted the Beermen — who swept them in the Commissioners’ Cup of that year — in six games.
These achievements allowed Cone to breathe a sigh of relief, especially as their previous losses caused heartbreak for the whole barangay.
“The last time we were in this semis, we led 3-2. We then let Game 6 slip away from us, and went on to lose Game 7,” he said of their loss to the Bolts in Season 48.
“No doubt that was on our minds coming to this Game 6.”
It also gave Ginebra a much-needed week to recover, as fatigue and injuries were already starting to affect their rotation.
“We certainly didn’t want to play a Game 7 and play a team like San Miguel. We put all our eggs in one basket and go forth, and we’re just happy we’re back. It took every little ounce of whatever we have left to win tonight. It just took a long toll on all of us and them,” he said.
With Ginebra returning to the Govs’ Cup finals once more, they will now have the chance to finish their redemption story.
The Gin Kings will be going up against Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and the TNT Tropang Giga — the squad that gave Justin Brownlee his only loss in the PBA finals, and the only team to defeat them in the Govs’ Cup since Cone’s arrival almost a decade ago.
“TNT is a greatly coached team with Coach Chot [Reyes],” said Cone, who served as Reyes’ deputy with Gilas Pilipinas in the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
“He knows me, I know him. He was working with me in Gilas, so I don’t think that there’s gonna be a lot of secrets about what we do or how we’re gonna play,” he added.
Despite the deep familiarity, however, Cone is wary of the capabilities of the Hollis-Jefferson-starred Tropang Giga squad on both ends of the floor.
“But what I want to say about Coach Chot is that he has done a tremendous job of turning his team into a defensive juggernaut which fits the personality of his best player in Rondae,” pointed out Cone.
In the semis, TNT was the No. 1 team in the league in terms of lowest points allowed per game, total and average steals per game, and total and average blocks per game.
In the whole conference, TNT is also the league leader in the lowest points allowed with an average of 89.89, the lowest 3-point field goals allowed with 26.89 percent, and overall blocked shots.
And this, according to Cone, is a very good compliment to Hollis-Jefferson, who has been putting up 28 markers, 12.9 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 2.9 steals, and 1.9 rejections in 18 games so far.
“He’s formed their team around Rondae’s personality, and they’re a good defensive team,” Cone said.
For comparison, Ginebra is the third-best squad in the whole conference when it comes to average point production, first in field goal percentage, two-point, and three-point percentage, and in total and average assists.
And with the contrasting styles of both teams, it’s now up to Cone and his troops to find ways of taking advantage of their strengths against TNT.
“That’s something that we’re gonna deal with when we play,” said Coach Tim. (ABS-CBN News)