Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Tim Cone has always been a great copy for reporters, dissecting the game, explaining how it was won or lost, etc.
There’s also no one better in the PBA in giving out analogies to describe his games, with the close 86-76 Game 2 victory over Meralco in their PBA Governors’ Cup Finals being no exception.
“We took a big punch from them early in the game and survived that,” Cone said. “We managed to make it a possession-by-possession game [in the closing minutes] and had a good closing kick.”
The analogy came a few minutes later, just after he praised LA Tenorio and the other Kings for a job well done.
“I’m just glad it wasn’t Manny Pacquiao who gave us that punch there, otherwise, we wouldn’t have gotten up from it,” he said with a smile, noting that Meralco still has a lot of fight left and the best-of-seven title series is far from over.
“They still have many punches to give,” said Cone, coaching in his 31st title series. “We should be careful of that. We won two straight games and it only shows that they can also win two straight to tie this thing up. You can’t be pleased with yourself.”
Only six of 36 teams in a title series that went 0-2 down have gone on to reverse the outcome, but coach Norman Black said his Bolts are going to take inspiration from one of those teams that made the biggest comeback of all time.
“Most of the teams down 0-2 have not won the championship,” Black admitted. “But we saw a team 0-3 down to win the championship. Until they (Gin Kings) win that fourth game, we will go out there fighting.”
Black was talking of San Miguel Beer, which rallied against Alaska last season in this same tournament to win the championship by taking the last four games.
The Meralco coach is not doubting his players as far as effort is concerned, actually praising them for going all out each game.
“These are my players, and I’m sure they are trying their best. They are not performing the way they did in the elimination round, and I am sure [the] Ginebra [defense] has a lot to do with that,” Black said.
Black better find a Pacquiao in his players quick, or, in using a boxing term to describe this series many saw to be close and tipped to go deep, this one would most likely not go the distance.