Though it was a non-bearing match for them, crowd favorites Barangay Ginebra San Miguel still flashed their never-say-die attitude versus the playoff-seeking NorthPort Batang Pier, Wednesday evening.
The Gin Kings came back from seven points down with less than six minutes to go in the fourth. They even took a two-point lead with 1:09 left to play, until Robert Bolick and Stanley Pringle proved clutch and saved the day for NorthPort.
Still, Ginebra head coach Tim Cone liked what he had seen from his chargers despite the result. He was satisfied to see that the Gin Kings played hard and played the right way, even if the game had no weight.
“The way we played was more important than winning the basketball game for us tonight.
“Obviously, it won’t be that way in the playoffs. But for tonight, playing hard and playing the right way was the priority and the goal,” Cone said.
“So I think we achieved that goal,” Cone added. “I think we also owe it to the other PBA teams that their fate rests on what we do, and we had to give our best effort. We did what we needed to do. I’m proud of our guys.”
Even prior to facing NorthPort, Cone and Ginebra already had their sights locked on the fierce Magnolia Hotshots. The Manila Clasico best-of-three series in the 2019 PBA Philippine Cup quarterfinals begins this Saturday.
For Cone, he believes Wednesday’s game also helped Ginebra for that match-up.
“I thought this game prepared us. Let’s see what happens,” he said.
The Manila Clasico playoffs have come at an earlier time. Cone expects nothing but a great series against Magnolia, who had dethroned the Gin Kings from their two-year reign in the Governors’ Cup last season.
“We’ve won six of seven before we lost tonight, and we played pretty well in a non-bearing game. I think we’re kind of in a roll too. That’s why I think it’s gonna be a great series. They’re playing at a high level,” the decorated mentor said.
“They’ve recovered from their championship hangover and they’re ready to move forward. Obviously they wanted to play us. They blew out their opponent (NLEX, 102-74) so they could have an opportunity to play against us,” he admitted.
“We know that. We’re sister teams but we’re not friendly.”
