Ginebra import Tony Bishop in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup. —PBA IMAGES
Coach Tim Cone wittingly explained the need for Barangay Ginebra to just move on from the heartbreaking “Manila Clasico” loss and focus on what it can achieve the rest of its Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Commissioner’s Cup campaign.
“I’m a former Alaska guy, that’s spilled milk. There’s nothing we can do about that,” Cone said as Ginebra prepares for a busy slate starting Friday with an 8 p.m. match against winless Rain or Shine at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Gin Kings’ meeting with the Elasto Painters is the first in a stretch of two games in three days, with the Blackwater Bossing at the backend starting 6:15 p.m. Sunday at Philsports Arena in Pasig City.
Phoenix and Blackwater square off in Friday’s opener at 4 p.m. while the season’s first out-of-town game pits San Miguel Beer and Converge, also without a victory, squaring off at 6:15 p.m. Saturday in Tiaong, Quezon.
TNT, coming off a franchise-record 40-point rout of Terrafirma, battles Meralco, reeling from its first defeat of the conference, in Sunday’s curtain raiser at 3 p.m.
Ginebra split its first two games after opening the season with a victory over Converge before falling short against the Hotshots despite leading by 26.
The Kings’ meltdown was also marred by a missed foul call late in the game, prompting the PBA to suspend the four officials who worked the marquee clash of sister teams.
Cone insists on moving on from what transpired in the Clasico while continuing to address what it is capable of in its quest to win a second straight Commissioner’s Cup title.
“The first half showed how good we can be as a team and our absolute potential,” Cone said. “But the second half showed how bad we can be as a team. But we’ll figure that out.”
Ginebra is facing Rain or Shine, which is on an alarming 0-3 start after losses to Meralco, NorthPort and a tight one against Phoenix last Saturday in Antipolo City.
“We had a lot of confidence coming into the conference, so we’re all frustrated and disappointed with where we’re at,” said Elasto Painters veteran Gabe Norwood.
Things, however, do not look good for Rain or Shine as it enters a grueling phase of games with heavyweights, starting with the Ginebra match.