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FRUSTRATED. Head coach Tim Cone of Barangay Ginebra during a 2024-25 PBA Commissioner's Cup finals game.
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'I’m getting kind of tired of saying we were outplayed and outcoached,' says Tim Cone as Barangay Ginebra falls to TNT for the fourth straight time after its Game 1 loss in the PBA Commissioner's Cup finals
MANILA, Philippines – A Game 1 loss does not bode well for a Barangay Ginebra side trying to finally beat TNT in their third finals encounter over the past five conferences.
So Gin Kings head coach Tim Cone wants to “change the narrative” after the Tropang Giga drew first blood in the best-of-seven PBA Commissioner’s Cup finals by way of a 95-89 win on Friday, March 14.
“I’m getting kind of tired of saying we were outplayed and outcoached. I’m getting tired of saying that. We got to change the narrative,” said Cone.
The loss marked Ginebra’s fourth straight at TNT’s hands, a losing streak that dates back to the Governors’ Cup finals earlier this season that saw Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Tropang Giga finish off the Gin Kings in six games.
It was the same result of the Governors’ Cup finals two years ago, when Hollis-Jefferson helped TNT halt Justin Brownlee’s unbeaten streak in championship battles with Ginebra.
And just like the last two finals, Hollis-Jefferson stamped his class anew, churning out a near-triple-double of 34 points, 13 rebounds, and 8 assists.
The Tropang Giga locals also did their part as they accounted for all of the team’s 14 three-pointers.
Brownlee went toe-to-toe with Hollis-Jefferson by putting up 28 points, 15 rebounds, and 6 assists, but the Gin Kings simply fell short after trailing by double figures for most of the game.
“It was a lot tougher series than it was the last one. We got a little bit confused out there. Credit their defense, they defended really well as usual,” said Cone.
“We got to step up our defense as well. We make way too many defensive mistakes. It’s Game 1. It’s not what we wanted. We’ll deal with it and move forward.”
Cone and Ginebra seek to turn their fortunes around as they shoot for a 1-1 tie in Game 2 on Sunday, March 16, at the Mall of Asia Arena. – Rappler.com
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