MANILA, Philippines – Their stunning come-from-behind win over Alaska in the quarterfinals of the 2016-17 PBA Philippine Cup does not necessarily give the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings any kind of momentum heading into Tuesday's do-or-die game.
This, according to Ginebra coach Tim Cone himself.
Ginebra rallied from a 17-point deficit to overcome Alaska, 85-81, on Sunday, forcing a win-or-go home game for a spot in the semifinals. The Aces had a twice-to-beat edge and looked as though they were cruising to victory with a 41-29 halftime lead, only for the Gin Kings to outscore them 33-13 in the third period.
"I don't believe a one-game win gives you momentum. I know people say that a lot in a series… (but) in this short of a series, there's no momentum," he said.
"Maybe we got a little bit of confidence, and a little bit of belief that we can play with Alaska," Cone added. "They've beaten us up quite a bit, and maybe we discovered a little bit of a formula that makes us comfortable."
Alaska routed Ginebra, 101-86, when they met in the elimination round.
Cone stressed that the Aces remain a "really tough, tough team to beat," and indeed, he was wary of the adjustments they will make ahead of Tuesday's do-or-die game.
"We're coming off the win, so they're gonna make the adjustments, so they'll be making the pre-game adjustments. They'll know what they want to do coming in, and we'll be making in-game adjustments to their adjustments," he pointed out.
"It's always harder to do in-game adjustments," Cone stressed.
Aside from Alaska's adjustments, Cone will also have to find a way to deal with the expected absence of Joe Devance, who was helped off the court in the third quarter after hurting his left leg.
The physicality and ill-tempered nature of the game can also become issues. Alaska coaches Alex Compton and Topex Robinson were both called for technical fouls, and there were several heated interactions between players of both teams.
"In the last conference, when we were in the playoffs, every game was different from the eliminations. The intensity level goes up, guys are working harder, and there are more bodies colliding," Cone observed. "They're working harder. Everything's harder. Everything goes up."
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