Cone can’t choose between 2 fine teams

18-TIME PBA champion mentor Tim Cone thanks the Mixers’ fans.

Soaked in bubbly after clinching his second PBA Grand Slam on Wednesday night, San Mig Coffee coach Tim Cone was in the mood to answer all queries from the media.

Well, except for one.

“Who would you coach?” the Inquirer threw the question at the coach, on the assumption that his Alaska squad of 1996 and these Mixers belonged to the same era and were to play for a championship.

That got him tongue-tied for a moment. Then he played it safe.

“They belonged to different eras,” said Cone, still basking in the glory of San Mig’s epic 92-89 win over Rain or Shine in their rubber match for the Governors’ Cup championship. The victory completed the Mixers’ Triple Crown chase—just the fifth in league history—and rewarded Cone with his second Grand Slam.

He did go on to point out a distinct difference. “That (Alaska) team was so dominant the whole year we knew that we were going to win it when we were playing Ginebra (in the Third

SAN MIG’S spiritual leader Marc Pingris makes the customary cutting of the net for his squad. AUGUST DELA CRUZ

Conference Finals),” Cone said. “We got out to a 3-0 lead and that was basically it.

“But this time, it had to go down to the final two seconds,” he added. “Rain or Shine just kept coming at us and coming at us until the very end. Right to the last shot.

“Ordinary people can’t do that (win Grand Slams). They (Alaska and San Mig teams) are both very special,” he said. “It takes a special group of guys to do this.”

The outspoken Cone improved his all-time winningest coach’s mark to 18 while San Mig copped its 13th title, matching the defunct Crispa’s fourth-best total. Cone has won six titles since 2011, when he bolted Alaska to join San Mig.

Cone pointed out how special this San Mig team is, considering the balance of power in the league and the tight schedule in which they had to play a season.

“I honestly think that it wasn’t possible (at this day and age),” he said. “Somehow the guys (Mixers) found a way (to win). They found a way all year.”

SWEET SWEEP San Mig Coffee guard PJ Simon hoists the Governors’ Cup after the Mixers nipped the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, 92-89, and clinched the third jewel of the PBA Grand Slam Wednesday night at Smart Araneta Coliseum. To Simon’s left is Finals MVP James Yap. AUGUST DELA CRUZ

San Mig played a total of nine KO games in the season and won them all, and what better way to pull off the Slam with that epic Game 5 win witnessed by 23,234 fans at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

“With Alaska (in 1996), we had a lot more breaks; here, we were guessing all the time.” Cone said. “This team was more frenetic. The constant playing without any true breaks, it’s really difficult in that regard. It was hard to keep everybody interested.”

Cone said the enormity of San Mig’s accomplishment hasn’t sunk in yet.

“We’ve had just two days off ever since the (Governors’ Cup) started,” Cone said. “I honestly don’t know what to do with myself. I’m just consumed with it every day. I’m going to go crazy not having anything to do.”

He said something about going into a quiet room at home and let it all sink in. Maybe he can try to figure out who he will really coach had his two Grand Slam teams belonged to the same era.