Tim Cone didn’t directly say it, but he hinted ever so slightly that Barangay Ginebra San Miguel’s 91-87 victory over the Meralco Bolts on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum was essentially a warm-up game heading into the playoffs of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
The signs were there, too. Raymond Aguilar and LA Tenorio playing early in a close game. Cone resting his starters for extended periods. Justin Brownlee, Stephen Holt, Japeth Aguilar, and Scottie Thompson all sitting out the entire fourth quarter—even as Meralco staged a fiery comeback down the stretch.
“This game was more of an opportunity for us to get ready for the playoffs, so we wanted to make sure guys who haven’t been getting a lot of minutes… You just don’t know what’s gonna happen in the playoffs,” said Cone after the Meralco game. “So, number one, you don’t want your starters or your core to get injured in a game like this, and you want to make sure that guys who aren’t playing a lot of minutes have a chance to stay sharp in case something does happen in the playoffs. That was basically our goal today, to just come out and play the game as best we can…”
Ginebra, in the end, did just enough to get the win, with RJ Abarrientos hitting clutch free throws and Von Pessumal making a couple of big plays.
Ginebra Has Same Mindset as Meralco with Playoffs Looming
Cone went as far as saying Meralco treated the game the same. And it showed, too. The Bolts kept Akil Mitchell on the sideline, supposedly because his back has been bothering him. Luigi Trillo also played his bench extensively, so much so he kept Chris Newsome and Cliff Hodge on the bench in the fourth quarter, even with a chance to steal the game.
“Obviously, Meralco didn’t play their import, they didn’t play their starters long. Both teams were kind of the same mindset trying to get ready for the playoffs,” Cone pointed out.
Practice time is over, though, as these same two teams are set for another playoff battle with a best-of-three quarterfinals series—just as they did in the PBA Governor’s Cup. Ginebra won that series via sweep, which is why Cone is wary of the Bolts seeking payback. He also knows better than to ready anything off Ginebra’s latest win given the circumstances.
“They’re gonna be well-motivated because we knocked them out last conference,” Cone told reporters. “We played them without the import tonight and obviously he’s a huge impact in the game. And that’s something we’re gonna have to account for in the series. It’s hard to read off this game because the import didn’t play and Justin played minimal minutes and both teams played their guys off the bench for elongated times.”
Even so, Cone vowed Ginebra will be ready. After all, warm-ups are over.
