Cone looking for ways for Ginebra to have consistent, even-keel standard

–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

Crowd darling Barangay Ginebra ushered in the new year with a masterful triumph over powerhouse San Miguel, a convincing showcase of its might that was far different from how it ended 2024, when it scored a victory with a buzzer-beating triple against Magnolia.

Yet head coach Tim Cone wasted no time comparing the manner which his squad pulled through in those contests. What’s important, he said, is staying on an even keel.

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“You know—I think I said it in the last game—that every game is different, and I think we understand that as a group,” he said shortly after a 93-81 dismantling of corporate sibling Beermen at Smart Araneta Coliseum on Sunday night.

“You know, your approach can’t change. Your approach has to stay solid as you try to create a standard with the way you play. And so that’s, I think, what we’re more focused on.”

With a 5-2 (win-loss) record to show for, the Gin Kings are now on a two-game winning streak. Before Sunday’s victory, the fancied club escaped the Hotshots—another sister team—on a Scottie Thompson triple at the buzzer on Christmas Day. Before that, Cone and his charges fell to a young Converge squad.

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Good halves

“Tonight, we put together two halves,” Cone said. “The other two games, we put together one good half and one bad half. Tonight, we were able to put two good halves together [even though] the second half was a struggle.”

“You know, keeping [the Beermen] at bay was a real struggle. But … this time we were a little bit more determined, I think,” he added.

Fortunately for Cone, Barangay Ginebra will have plenty more chances to polish its game as it will have five more games left on its elimination round schedule. However, the first of those contests is shaping up as an interesting duel as the Gin Kings go up against top-ranked NorthPort, which has won all but one of its last seven matches, this Wednesday.

“They’re much more rounded in terms of size and, you know, they switch a lot on defense. So, you know, we’ll have to spend the next couple of days really delving into the video and figuring out how to play them,” he said of the Batang Pier.

“But no doubt about it: This was a big win for us tonight and a big one for us moving forward.”

Also looking to build on a huge triumph is Meralco, which will plunge right back into action versus TNT this Tuesday, 7:30 p.m., at PhilSports Arena after taking the scalp of visiting Hong Kong, 88-83, also last Sunday.

“We’ve been going through tough times. Our last two games were losses. We also had eight guys injured,” said coach Luigi Trillo whose crew improved to 4-2 and will next tackle a Tropang Giga side raring to hike their 2-2 record. INQ