Ahead of Game 3 of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals, one coach is hoping his real team shows up, while the other is banking on his squad to play at a high level for 48 full minutes.
The former is Tim Cone; the latter is Chot Reyes.
Tim Cone Laments His Team Not Showing Up
With the series reduced to a best of five, Cone is hoping the real Ginebra shows up for Game 3 because, according to him, his wards didn’t do that in their 101-94 loss on Friday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“At the beginning of the game, we had three assists in the first, and zero assist in the second quarter. That’s not just us,” Cone told reporters after Game 2. “That came down to the fact that we just didn’t show up tonight.”
Ginebra was so out of sorts in Game 2 that they fell into a 22-point hole, 81-59, early in the fourth. A late run fueled by Jeremiah Gray, Isaac Go, and John Abis—and even later by RJ Abarrientos—allowed the Gin Kings to inch to within 98-94, only to falter in the last two minutes again.
For Game 3, Cone’s parting shot was simple: “We’ve got to find some answers.”
Chot Reyes Pining for Complete Effort
Reyes, on the other hand, is surely pleased that his team tied the series. But best believe he’s far from satisfied with the way TNT finished Game 2—reeling and disorganized. That’s why he wants the Tropa to play their game from the opening whistle up to the final buzzer.
“Hopefully, we can sustain a high level of play for 48 minutes,” Reyes said. “Against a team like Ginebra, if you just let your guard down for three to four minutes, they’ll get on a very big run. Those are the things that we need to talk about—how to make sure that we’re able to sustain that kind of energy and execution all throughout the game.”
To TNT’s credit, they were better than Ginebra in every aspect for about 40 minutes in Game 2—the first three quarters and the first four minutes of the fourth. But to Ginebra’s credit, they staged a massive rally, although it just fell short.
And all that leads to today’s pivotal Game 3. One coach is in search of answers, and another wants 48 minutes of excellence.
The one who figures it out will be two wins away from a championship.
