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Ginebra vows to defend home turf vs Bay Area as ‘one of a kind’ PBA Finals begins


PBA Barangay Ginebra Bay Area Dragons Finals

Stars from Barangay Ginebra and Bay Area with PBA commissioner Willie Marcial during the press conference for the 2022 PBA Commissioners Cup Finals.

MANILA, Philippines—Barangay Ginebra and Bay Area rush into the race among their best seven teams for the Philippine Basketball Association’s mid-season crown, with both sides knowing all too well the big risks.

The Gin Kings believe it is their duty to compete for the tournament and the pride of this cage-crazed nation, while the Dragons understand that they are on the brink of history.

“It’s not normal, it’s different. I’ve never faced a coach like (Brian Goorjian), intelligence match [with someone like him] And our players have never faced such people. So it’s all new,” Ginebra coach Tim Cone said at the opening press conference of Friday’s championship series at Novotel Manila in Cubao.

“And anything new can be exciting. We are all very excited,” he continued.

That excitement has not been lost on his counterpart, the Australian mentor, who is best known for leading the Australian national team to a bronze medal in the Tokyo Olympic Games.

“Playing in Australia, where it’s a third-rate sport, and you’re in a country where it’s number one? In a stadium will be packed? With the Filipinos passionately cheering on their team? Nothing could be more exciting,” said Dragons tactician Goorjian.

Ginebra will try to defend, as Cone put it, “home” and are looking to prevent the visitors from becoming the first away club to win it all since Northern Consolidation back in 1985 Reinforced Conferece and American team Nicholas Stooley in the 1980 Invitation Championship.

Gin Kings, under the command of reigning Best Player Scottie Thompson and tireless Justin Brownlee, will enter the clash as the underdogs, due to a large roster of enemies and squads. team is tested abroad.

Meanwhile, the Dragons have chosen to go all the way with prominent Canadian Andrew Nicholson and will attempt to draw more from Glen Yang and Kobey Lam in hopes of making the most of their trip to the Philippines.

The last time the two clubs met resulted in Ginebra’s win, 111-93, on 9 October.

The match opens at the Mall of Asia on Christmas Day and could culminate at the Philippine Arena in the cave on January 13 if the series comes to a decision.

“For me, this is one of a kind. We’ve done this before not quite like this. This is all one-of-a-kind,” said Cone, a 24-time PBA champion.

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