Scottie Thompson and LA Tenorio (background) hope their next hug will be for another title. — PBA . IMAGES
Barangay Ginebra is on the verge of another successful title defense, the PBA Managers Cup.
But trainer Tim Cone knows all too well how dangerous the days ahead will be for his Gin Kings.
“We know that trying to beat a team this good three times in a row is almost impossible,” he said after a 115-110 Game 5 win over Meralco on Sunday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, where Ginebra took the 3-2 lead in their best seven-game streak after a second straight win.
“When I look at it, it’s still very, very far away. It seems so close, yet so far away. We were in this situation [before] and they forced us into a Game 7.”
The decorated mentor refers to the Ginebra vs Meralco showdown in 2017, where the two clubs were counting on a zero-day clash tomorrow at the Grand Philippine Arena in Bulacan in front of a record 54,068 fans of the tournament.
There, the Gin Kings pitted against the Bolts behind the LA Tenorio Top Player of the Year Finals for a repeat in the season-end rollout.
Cone’s cautious optimism also stems from being repeatedly in an all-too-familiar position. Taking on 35 championship matches, and winning 23 titles including a pair of Triple Crown sweeps has made Cone, if possible, an expert at navigating situations like these.
“The dangerous thing, from a coaching standpoint – and even from the players’ point of view – is that you start thinking about the outcome of the game. What will happen after the game rather than in the moment or before the game,” he said.
“You start thinking about being a champion, or what you’re going to do after that. It’s hard not to think so if you’re this close,” he continued.
“It’s easy to look beyond. I know. I find myself in it… all the time,” added Cone.
The key now for Ginebra is to stay in the present — and rest for a few days until the next contest, where a capable and vengeful Meralco faction awaits — and prepare for battle.
“You really have to fight with yourself to stay ahead of the game,” Cone said.
“We’re not thinking about a match to go on, we’re just thinking about the process of being able to get the next win.” INQ
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