Kings eye 2-0 lead on the road

MANILA, Philippines — Though happy to have drawn first blood, Barangay Ginebra coach Tim Cone recognizes the fact that a 1-0 upper hand isn’t the safest of leads and greatest determinant of a titular showdown.

Specially so that the Gin Kings are ranged against the Meralco Bolts, a tough customer who can take them out of their comfort zone and drag them to a long-drawn war for the PBA Governors’ Cup crown.

“I think it’s going to be a ping-pong affair. This is going to go back and forth,” said Cone, not getting carried away by their grind-out 91-87 win in the opener last Tuesday.

Ginebra itself fell behind 0-1 in the previous semis against NorthPort, losing by 34, but clawed back and won the series, 3-2. 

As they gun for a 2-0 lead tonight at the Quezon Convention Center in Lucena, Cone and his charges brace for yet another struggle against the highly disciplined, defense-savvy Bolts, who in the kickoff forced them to a slow pace and even led by 10 at one point in the third before fading late. 

“That game was prototypical of what every game is going to be like. It might not be a one-point game or two-point game, but it might be a five-point or six-point game, but the tempo and the rhythm and style for every possession, I think, is going to be the same all the way through the series,” said Cone.

Not disheartened one bit by the Game 1 fumble, the Bolts take a positive approach.

“Even with the way that we shot and missed plays we should have made, we still had that opportunity. We got to make the most of that opportunity next time, be able to pull it off especially against a team like this. We’ll look at the film and see where we can attack. We’ll come back stronger in Game 2,” said Meralco import Allen Durham.

Frontline partner Raymond Almazan reminded the Bolts of their fightback in the semis against TNT KaTropa. There, Meralco dropped Game 1, drew level in the next, lost the third but eventually battled back to steal the series at 3-2, for a third date with Ginebra.

“As I told them after Game 1, we stay together. We were in the same situation against TNT, right? We lost Game 1 then but we bounce back,” said the former Letran star.

Japeth Aguilar, one of the heroes in the curtain raiser, said they’re in no celebratory mood.

“It’s just one game. It’s still a long way to go. That’s our mentality. We’re glad to take the first game but it’s three more wins to go,” he said.

The finals protagonists tackle the difficulties of going on a road trip for the 7 p.m. encounter.

“It’s always tough...the bus ride is tough, sleeping out of your own bed, not getting your routines, food you normally have. It’s tough but there are some positives as well. 

“There’s a real sense of togetherness because you’re going out of town and you’re together in a hotel and because everybody’s nearby, it’s easy to call everyone together and do video work, extra preparation,” said Cone.

For Black, Meralco’s disadvantage in crowd support will be magnified.

“There’s always an advantage for Ginebra whenever they go anywhere in the country, normally fans will follow them. In Araneta, we can probably get 4,000 or 5,000 fans in the gym, they will have the other 12,000, 15,000. When we go to the province, that’s a little bit more difficult for us. We’ll see. Anyway, we have to win this game, it’s a must win for us; it really won’t matter where we play,” said Black.

NOTES: After a brief stint with San Miguel Beer, Kelly Nabong is returning to NorthPort in a trade for Russel Escoto. Nabong was a key reliever to June Mar Fajardo until being suspended by the SMB team indefinitely after figuring in a scuffle during team practice late last year. Also involved in the fight were import Dez Wells, Arwind Santos and Ronald Tubid.