PBA: Tim Cone, Ginebra look to shake up their fortunes

Barangay Ginebra guard Scottie Thompson goes for a shot against Magnolia in the 2022 PBA Commissioner’s Cup. PBA IMAGES

Coach Tim Cone and Barangay Ginebra are already aware that beating marquee foes is no guarantee that they can just show up the next game and expect their opponents to fold.

“We always talk about never getting too high or too low,” Cone said as the Gin Kings face the hapless Terrafirma Dyip on Friday to highlight three straight playdates stretching across the weekend in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup.

Ginebra’s 5:45 p.m. match against the owner of the league’s longest live skid at Smart Araneta Coliseum will serve as a test if Cone’s talented bunch can sustain its form following a massive win over Magnolia last Sunday at Mall of Asia Arena.

The 103-97 triumph came after engineering a big comeback from 15 points down led by import Justin Brownlee and PBA Press Corps Player of the Week Scottie Thompson which put the Gin Kings at 3-2.

But Ginebra will face a similar scenario that it dealt with two weeks ago when the Gin Kings failed to build on their dominant victory over the previously undefeated guest team Bay Area and suffered a disappointing setback at the hands of Phoenix.

That loss to the Fuel Masters plus a 22-point defeat to the Rain or Shine to open their campaign in this conference meant that Ginebra has bowed to two squads that have already lost a combined seven games—a mind-boggling roller-coaster ride so far for one of the most talented rosters in the league.

“I think we got too high off that last game [against Bay Area] so we’re gonna try to settle in and try to make sure to get the next one and see if we could create some momentum,” said Cone.

“This was a big one for us (beating Magnolia), no doubt about it. This is another high. And we’re gonna have to be careful because it’s very similar to the Bay Area game. But hopefully we can come out and get refocused.”

TNT import Cameron Oliver. –PBA IMAGES

TNT takes on Converge in the 3 p.m. opener to begin a busy and tough stretch for coach Chot Reyes’ squad to wrap up the month of October.

Also at 3-2, the two games over three days will test the Tropang Giga’s capability to compete for the championship, with the FiberXers expected to put up another stern challenge like it has done since coach Aldin Ayo took over.

After Friday’s duel with Converge, TNT takes on Phoenix on Sunday at Ynares Center in Antipolo City, the final playdate before action takes a break for five days in observance of All Saints’ Day.

The Fuel Masters are the hottest team of the tournament with four straight wins after a 0-3 start.

Magnolia, meanwhile, is eager to redeem itself from the setback to Ginebra where it blew a 15-point lead to drop its first game after a 5-0 start.

The Hotshots face struggling Rain or Shine on Saturday also in Antipolo. San Miguel Beer, which has seen its new import Devon Scott perform well the last two games, eyes another victory opposite Meralco.

After facing TNT, Converge meets Blackwater to serve as an appetizer to the TNT-Phoenix clash.