Gin Kings move on; PBA summons refs

PHOTO by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

The title drought drags on painfully for Barangay Ginebra, even under the guidance of the most successful coach in Philippine Basketball Association history.

Without a championship since 2008, expectations of the Gin Kings getting back to the winner’s circle were at their highest after two-time Grand Slam winner Tim Cone took over at the start of the season.

The Gin Kings’ Philippine Cup ride has not been smooth, to say the least, as they were walloped by Cone’s former team, Star, right in their very first clash.

Ginebra’s tournament ended in a controversial manner on Sunday night—an 83-84 loss to GlobalPort where Cone blew his top in protest over the referees’ failure to blow the whistle on a Stanley Pringle ball-hogging act in the dying seconds.

Longer holiday break

The defeat meant that Cone and the Gin Kings will have a longer holiday break than that of the four teams that will play on starting on Jan. 4.

The Batang Pier may have shown remarkable grit in that all-or-nothing game but the Gin Kings had all the chances to play according to their true strength and prevail.

On paper, there are very few teams that could match up with Ginebra man-for-man in terms of size, talent and experience in every position.

Christmas Day win

The Kings could only finish fourth after the eliminations and were dragged into a two-phase quarterfinal round that saw them survive the first match—interestingly enough, against the Hotshots on Christmas Day.

Like the never-say-die Ginebra of old, the squad roared back from eight points down in the final minute to gut out a 92-89 overtime win—made possible by an LA Tenorio triple at the buzzer.

That incredible win alone should have given Ginebra all the momentum it needed to dispose of the Batang Pier, who don’t have the crowd support the Kings enjoy in every game.

Pringle’s supposed violation drew a torrent of indignation. The huge crowd and the Gin Kings refused to file out of the venue way after the final buzzer had sounded, hoping that the game officials would still give Ginebra possession and a final crack at the game winner.

Referees summoned

The league has summoned the four referees and the other game officials in that game at 2 p.m. today as it decides on the sanctions it will hand out for the most glaring non-call of the season.

Ginebra did not file a protest with the Office of the Commissioner, preferring to move on from that loss and let GlobalPort have its first taste of Final Four action.

The Batang Pier clash with the Alaska Aces in a best-of-seven series as early as Jan. 4.

For Cone and the rest of the Gin Kings, it’s time to pick up the pieces yet again and do something to the list of conference failures that has truly gone long over the years.