By JAN CARLO ANOLIN
Answers to questions like “is there a rivalry?” or “who is the underdog?” between Ginebra and Meralco were left hanging on the edge. But the questioms doesn’t stop there.
One of the queries still unheard is the advantage of one against the other and both mentors, Ginebra’s Tim Cone and Meralco’s Norman Black have different approach.
The two are considered to be the league’s best and things are just about to restart when Game 1 of the PBA Governors’ Cup kicks off today at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
For Cone, it’s all about the ‘sixth man’ playing a different role in the game.
Like a two-edged sword, Cone stressed that having a humongous crowd on their side – untiring and full-spirited – could be taken both as pressure and a factor that can help the team be better.
“I think if there’s an edge that we have, it’s always the Ginebra crowd and the Ginebra fans,” Cone said. “They push us to greater heights all the time and that’s the beauty with Ginebra. You have that constant pressure [from] the fans to keep playing at your highest level.”
Black, on the contrary, answered the question by sticking to the fundamentals and playing good basketball.
“Instead of looking for advantages, I think we should just concentrate on what we do well – which is to defend well [and] we rebound the ball well,” Black said. “If we don’t do those things, we’re not gonna beat them. Those are the things that got us to this point.”
But basketball will not be basketball without a game plan and that is the next hurdle the two need to overcome in Part III of their duel in the season-ending conference.
“On the other side, we have to find a way to score cos they’re also a very good defensive team,” Black said. “It’s not like that they can’t defend because they can. We have to figure out where we can attack, who we can attack.”
Bolts’ import Allen Durham will have a new reinforcement in the paint in veteran center Raymond Almazan, who is not new with the Finals atmosphere after winning the title last 2016 Commissioners’ Cup back when he was still part of the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters.
Rookie forward Bong Quinto also showed a promising performance in the semifinals as helped the team on both ends.
“Ngayon, kailangan mas mag-focus ako kasi ‘yung intensity doon hindi ko pa alam. Maging ready lang [ako] every game then ‘yung game plan naman ni coach Norman ‘yun naman talaga sasanggaan [namin],” Quinto said.
Despite winning against Black and the Bolts twice in the Govenors’ Cup Finals, Cone felt like the ‘counterpuncher’ this time around and likewise said they needed to fire up their offense and keep Meralco off the board. “That’s where the battle comes in.”
Aside from the intact core, eyes will be on Stanley Pringle on his first Finals appearance as part of the Kings after playing major and crucial roles during the semifinals.
“Meralco’s been very definite in the way they play and the way they’ve been successful in terms of their defense and in terms of their rebounding. We’re trying to find ways to counter that,” Cone said.