Ginebra head coach Tim Cone felt glad to see the Barangay emerge triumphant in a Manila Clasico affair after being on the losing end for years.
The Kings busted Magnolia’s five-game win streak in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup on Sunday night, putting an end to the only undefeated run in the mid-season tournament for their first win against the Hotshots in three years.
“Yeah, it’s good to win,” expressed the league’s winningest mentor shortly after their 103-97 come-from-behind victory at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.
“I mean, when I left San Mig Coffee, and I went to Ginebra, I think we beat them nine or 10 times. And we really felt like we had their number. And they just completely turned the tables on us and they’ve been beating us ever since.”
The last time the Kings won over Magnolia was on October 20, 2019, a 105-83 result in a Governors’ Cup affair that saw Justin Brownlee spearhead the demolition with 27 points, 10 assists, and nine rebounds.
It has become a downward trend for the crowd darlings ever since, losing to the Hotshots in their four next meetings — the last of which was a tight 89-84 decision in the Philippine Cup just last June 19.
So, Cone made it a point to emphasize as much prior to their latest match-up, and it definitely worked as it led to a gutsy victory.
“We talked about it yesterday during our pre-game prep. I thought we came out a little tight today. We were trying out a few new things. We came out tight and a little frustrated but we just needed that one big run,” said Cone.
Brownlee yet again came through in the comeback and went on to finish with 26 points, 12 assists, and eight rebounds. Jamie Malonzo shined as well with a big contribution to the tune of 18 points and 14 rebounds.
Then, of course, there’s reigning league MVP Scottie Thompson as well, as he tallied 14 markers, six boards, and four dimes.
Cone said that the comeback reminded him of the classic Never Say Die spirit of Ginebra in the 90s, led by none other than the great Sonny Jaworski.
“It was a typical Never Say Die Ginebra game in the 1990s in my opinion. I remember those,” he said.
“I remember being on the other side of those teams, when I was losing to those teams. So it’s great to be on this side.”
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The second game of each PBA gameday is live-streamed on SMART Sports.
