Kings still fighting

Barangay Ginebra coach Tim Cone came up with the perfect description on how tough it was to stay alive against TNT in their PBA Commissioner’s Cup Final Four series.

“We bled for our points and I think TNT bled for theirs,” the two-time Grand Slam champion said, minutes after pulling off an 80-72 victory over the KaTropa at Mall of Asia Arena that gave his Gin Kings the right to play another day.

Playing before a frenzied crowd, the Kings got ahead early, thanks to veterans in LA Tenorio and Joe Devance, and Ginebra held it together against TNT to win over the KaTropa for the first time in four games here and cut the series deficit to 2-1.

Import Justin Brownlee had a slow start but still managed to put together a near triple-double of 15 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists.

Cone also praised the way they played defense that stymied TNT’s big guns as Ginebra avoided being swept.

“They’ve been playing outstanding defense throughout the series, but tonight was the first time we really played outstanding defense—the kind that we’ve wanted to play,” he added.

TNT got the goods from import Terrence Jones, who fired 24 points that went with 18 rebounds.

Three more TNT starters chipped in twin digits.

“It was really tough just getting one game,” said Cone, whose Kings shoot for the equalizer Thursday night at Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.

“We’ll see if we could turn it around and get two,” the multititled mentor said.

Meanwhile, coach Leo Austria believes that, despite San Miguel Beer’s huge 2-0 lead and the way the Beermen manhandled Rain or Shine to get that, writing off the Elasto Painters would not be the soundest approach going into the potential series-clinching Game 3 of their side of the Final Four on Wednesday.

Austria said the Painters’ strength lies in their belief that they are capable against his proud squad, which was on display in both Games 1 and 2, where Rain or Shine enjoyed comfortable leads.

“The fact that they’re in the semifinals, they know they have a chance,” Austria said. The Beermen and the Painters slug it out at 7 p.m.