After dropping to 0-2 hole, Ginebra 'wakes up' in PBA Govs' Cup Finals

Coach Tim Cone said the first two games of the PBA Governors' Cup were wake-up calls for Ginebra, leading to a Game 3 win. PBA Images

By Ivan Saldajeno

QUEZON CITY--Ginebra head coach Tim Cone thought TNT caught them napping in the first two games of the PBA Governors' Cup Finals.

Dropping both matches by double digits, it was clear for the Gin Kings that despite getting one full week of rest in between the semifinals against the San Miguel Beermen and the finals against the Tropang Giga, they were too off.

"I think coming from the San Miguel series, we were just a little worn out and not as focused as we should be, and the first two games just kinda woke us up," Cone said after Game 3 on Friday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Now that the "alarm" already sounded, Ginebra "resurrected" interestingly enough on All Saint's Night, taking Game 3 of the best-of-seven series.

This time, it was the Gin Kings who stymied the Tropang Giga, holding them to only 73 points, the second-lowest points they scored this conference after the Terrafirma Dyip handed them a stunning defeat by limiting them to 72 in the group stages.

Held to less than 40 percent from the field in Games 1 and 2, Ginebra, although still not as solid from the three-point line as it was earlier in the conference, shot 50 percent on field goals, banking on their aggression that led to 28-of-48 on two-pointers.

"Hopefully this wakes us up and gets us going through this series," Cone further said.

However, he believes the team is still not that awakened yet and has to win Game 4 on Sunday night to say it has fully returned to its senses.

"This one won't mean much tonight if we don't get the one on Sunday. Obviously, we had to expand a lot of energy to get this one tonight, and hopefully, we can find a way to keep that energy to play on Sunday," Cone continued.

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