Japeth Aguilar slams the ball for Barangay Ginebra. —AUGUST DELA CRUZ
Barangay Ginebra’s massive win over TNT on Sunday meant the Gin Kings own their destiny in the chase for the remaining three slots for the twice-to-beat advantage in the PBA Philippine Cup quarterfinals.
Ginebra will just have to beat Rain or Shine on Father’s Day at Ynares Center in Antipolo City to secure a top-four finish and give itself a better route in the second stage of its championship quest.
“There were some mitigating instances or circumstances that allowed us to get a game like this,” Gin Kings coach Tim Cone said after the 97-78 win at Ninoy Aquino Stadium, a scoreline that hardly resembled the anticipation between rival teams that have met in the past two Finals.
A 13-0 start coupled with the ejection of TNT center Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser on a Flagrant Foul 2 call for elbowing Troy Rosario during a rebound battle and the Tropang 5G adjusting to having Jordan Heading, who finally made his debut after being traded from the Converge FiberXers, enabled Ginebra to set the tone for the crucial win.
It was a second win in a row and four of the last five for Ginebra, which tied Magnolia for third at 7-3, trailing only NLEX with its 8-2 record and San Miguel Beer at 7-2. NLEX has already secured the twice-to-beat bonus.
“At this point of the conference, when you’re battling for that top four spot, we’ll take every advantage we can get,” Cone said in referring to Ganuelas-Rosser’s ejection and Heading’s first appearance.
The loss ended a six-game winning streak for TNT, which fell to a tie with Converge and Rain or Shine at 6-4, with no other recourse but to beat Magnolia on Friday at Ninoy Aquino Stadium for a chance at the twice-to-beat.
The incentive holds greater importance now for both Magnolia and TNT, as Hotshots do not want to fall outside of the top four after a terrific start they had. The Tropang 5G, on the other hand, are aiming for a historic Grand Slam.
“Ginebra played really well, defensively,” Tropang 5G big man Poy Erram said in Filipino. “It’s hard when you can’t shoot and you can’t defend as well. So we have to make sure in our next game that even if our offense isn’t clicking that our defense is there.” INQ
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