By JONAS TERRADO
Barangay Ginebra San Miguel coach Tim Cone said the team’s comeback win over Terrafirma is a good start for his team to rediscover its old swagger in the PBA Governors’ Cup.
The Gin Kings had to rally from a 22-point third quarter deficit to pull off the escape act over the Dyip, 112-107, before a good-sized Sunday crowd at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City.
Cone’s expression looked more relieved that elated as a loss would have put Ginebra in a precarious situation as the elimination round winds down to its final two weeks.
Instead, the Gin Kings moved in a tie for fifth with the San Miguel Beermen at 5-4 with an outside shot at a twice-to-beat advantage given to the top four teams.
“We’ve been trying to find ourselves,” Cone said. “We’ve been doing this for a conference and a half, trying to find ourselves. So it doesn’t surprise me that we struggle.”
Ginebra has been actually groping for form since the Philippine Cup it barely made the quarterfinals after a sluggish elims campaign that included a shock loss to Terrafirma.
Things appeared to have gotten better when the Gin Kings opened this conference with three straight wins anchored by the returning Justin Brownlee. But not even Brownlee’s presence could see another downward stretch of four straight losses, all against teams that made it to the semis last conferences — Magnolia Pambansang Manok, Meralco, TNT and San Miguel Beer.
The skid ended last Friday with a 109-100 victory over the lowly Blackwater Bossing, but not after surviving a scare as the Gin Kings nearly wasted a 30-point lead.
