SCHEDULE: 2024 PBA Philippine Cup semifinals
Ginebra coach Tim Cone during a PBA Philippine Cup semifinals game against Meralco Bolts. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIREr.net
Coach Tim Cone and Barangay Ginebra are in a quandary about how they can finally get back in their PBA Philippine Cup semifinal series with Meralco.
“We got to change things up, we can’t play the same way,” Cone told reporters after the Gin Kings’ 87-80 loss Wednesday in Dasmarinas, Cavite put them behind 2-1 in the best-of-seven affair.
Ginebra will be looking to even the series Friday at Mall of Asia Arena, hoping that major adjustments can help solve its problems against Meralco.
READ: PBA: Ginebra’s Tim Cone needs time figuring out Meralco’s game plan
No team has come back from losing Game 4 to go 3-1 in a series since Talk ’N Text defeated Petron in the 2012 Philippine Cup semis.
Meralco has led in all three games, winning the last two which included double-digit leads. Allein Maliksi, Chris Newsome, Cliff Hodge, Raymond Almazan and Chris Banchero have been the source of problems for Ginebra.
Maliksi set the tone for the Bolts in Game 3, firing 11 of his 16 points in the first half that saw the Gin Kings already trailing by 13.
READ: PBA: Meralco hangs on to beat Ginebra for 2-1 semis lead
Ginebra has had strong games from Christian Standhardinger and Stanley Pringle, but there’s concern regarding consistency among other players like Scottie Thompson.
“I got totally outcoached, we got totally outplayed. I can tell you [it’s a] terrible game,” said Cone.
“They (Meralco) deserved it. They did. They outshot us, outcoached us.”