Slaughter, Ginebra eye redemption in Manila Clasico rematch

MANILA, Philippines -- Greg Slaughter expects Star to come out with a suffocating defense from the get-go when the Barangay Ginebra Kings kick off the Smart Bro-PBA Philippine Cup playoff against the Hotshots on Christmas Day at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The 6-foot-11 Slaughter, who finished the single-round eliminations with career-best averages of 23.5 points and 15.0 rebounds per contest, however, stressed that the Kings are playing their best basketball under new coach Tim Cone after going 6-1 in the last seven games.

“I think we’re just getting more cohesiveness together,” Slaughter told Philstar.com on Wednesday.

“But what’s happening right now is we’re also playing defense really well.”

The fourth-seeded Ginebra enters the playoff needing to win just once against Cone’s former team, Star, which closed out the eliminations at ninth spot.

Both teams collide at the main game ay 7 p.m.

Ginebra is brimming with confidence come playoff time after closing out the eliminations with a 101-94 victory over powerhouse Talk ‘N Text.

Although the Kings enjoy a twice-to-beat advantage, Slaughter said they don’t intend to play the Hotshots beyond Christmas Day, aware that Star’s veteran-laden squad is capable of pulling the rug from under them.

“What’s on our mind is how badly they beat us in the all-Filipino,” Slaughter said, referring to the team’s 86-78 defeat to Star during their lone meeting early in the Philippine Cup.

In that game, the Kings dug a deep hole for themselves after trailing by as much as 31 points, before falling short in their second-half rally.

“It’s gonna be a hard battle against Star so we really have to be prepared and win (the Christmas Day game) right away,” the 2013 PBA top rookie pick added.

It’s no secret that Cone has done well utilizing Slaughter and Japeth Aguilar’s size advantage, but the soft-spoken Ginebra slotman said the triangle offense ensures every King is a threat on the floor.

“It’s not about whose gonna get the ball more because the triangle gives everyone an opportunity to score because we have the talent,” explained the former PBA Rookie of the Year.