By REYNALD MAGALLON
Barangay Ginebra head coach Tim Cone was obviously upset as he emerged from the team dugout at the Araneta Coliseum on Friday, March 15, following a 91-73 loss at the hands of rival Meralco in the 2024 PBA Philippine Cup.
The veteran mentor, who was usually accommodating to the members of the press, was in no mood to talk after the game although he left with few words that resounded his frustrations from the defeat
“Embarrassing. That’s all I’ve got to say,” said Cone.
“We’re just absolutely embarrassed from moment one to moment 40. Forty eight minutes,” he added.
Cone’s reaction, however, was understandable especially after the Kings, brimming with size and talent, were cut down to size by the Bolts’ stifling defense.
Ginebra was held to a season-low 73 points and forced to commit 19 turnovers against Meralco’s only six errors.
As a result, the Kings trailed by as many as 31 points and while the crowd tried its best to rally its team with Ginebra chants, the faint encouragements fell to deaf ears as there was simply no fight in Ginebra to generate a glimpse of its ‘never-say-die’ comeback.
Jamie Malonzo, Ginebra’s leading scorer this conference with 24.5 points per game, was limited to a measly four points – a testament to the team’s offensive struggles.
It was a collapse that left Cone baffling, especially that his team was coming off a two-game winning streak where it put up 107.5 points per game.
“I don’t have answers to any questions. I don’t know what the hell happened,” said the veteran mentor.
“It’s an embarrassing night. We just hope this doesn’t define us,” ended Cone said as he walked out of the Big Dome.
