There’s really nothing quite like a Manila Clasico crowd.
With 14,640 strong trooping to Smart Araneta Coliseum, the biggest gate attendance so far this conference, the latest chapter in the storied rivalry between Ginebra and Star once again delivered a classic, with the Hotshots taking control early before the Gin Kings stormed back and took the 116-103 victory on Sunday.
“Natutuwa ako kasi maraming nagpunta at maraming nakisaya sa game na ito,” said Ginebra floor general LA Tenorio.
Even Peter June Simon admitted that the boisterous crowd did affect the game’s outcome.
“Actually, yun talaga ang sixth man ng Ginebra,” said the Star guard. “Ever since nandito pa si coach Tim (Cone), napapansin niya rin na sobrang laking tulong ng crowd sa kanila.
“The best way na i-tame yung crowd is huwag sila palamangin at bigyan ng magagandang plays dahil naboo-boost yung players nila.”
Unfortunately for the Hotshots, they were unable to do that, as Ginebra roared back from 17-points down and went on a tear in the second half, capping it off with a 38-point fourth quarter explosion.
“We kept fighting. Medyo masama yung start namin, but the good thing is lahat naging ready,” said Tenorio.
Cone is also relieved to finally reward a big crowd with a win for Ginebra.
“I think this is the first time we had a really big crowd in which we’ve won. Every big crowd we’ve had, we’ve lost,” he said.
But this urge to deliver almost got the better of the Gin Kings, falling behind early and staring at a 49-32 lead midway in the second quarter.
“It’s a really big crowd and we wanted so much to win this. I think that was one of the problems early in the game, that we wanted so much to reward the crowd for showing up and supporting us that we tried to do some things that we shouldn’t have been doing early in the game, and it kind of got us out of rhythm.
“But it was nice to be able to reward the crowd at the end of the game,” he said.
At 6-2, Ginebra is now in a prime position to nab one of the top four seeds which comes with a twice-to-beat advantage in the 2016 PBA Governors’ Cup quarterfinals.
Tenorio, meanwhile, is just hoping that this won’t be the last for the “ka-baragays” to show up and support the Gin Kings and the PBA.
“Hopefully, hindi lang sa games namin. Sana sa lahat ganyan para naman maganda yung kalabasan at mag-enjoy pa ang mga tao,” the Tenyente closed.
