MANILA, Philippines — With a familiar face leading the other side, TNT coach Chot Reyes expects a riveting and extremely competitive duel with Tim Cone and Barangay Ginebra for the PBA Governors’ Cup crown.
“I think it’s going to be very interesting and (it) will take our best to be able to compete with coach Tim and the Barangay,” Reyes told The STAR ahead of the Tropang Giga’s title defense against Cone and the Gin Kings.
The two brilliant mentors have been buddies – and both coaching partners and rivals – since the 1990s. Reyes assisted Cone during his stint with Alaska before venturing into head coaching himself. In 2023, it was Cone’s turn to provide a helping hand when Reyes was chief tactician of Gilas Pilipinas.
“TNT is a greatly-coached team with coach Chot. I know he knows me. I know him. We just got through working with the Gilas team together. So I don’t think there’s going to be a lot of secrets about what we do or how we are going to play,” said Cone, who has assumed the reins at Gilas following Reyes’ departure after the FIBA World Cup.
Reyes and Cone, who have a combined 11 PBA Press Corps Coach of the Year accolades between them, will face off in the PBA finals for the seventh time. They are currently tied at 3-3.
The coming title showdown, though, marks the first golden battle for the two since the 2012 Commissioner’s Cup, an epic best-of-seven finale where import Denzel Bowles tied the game in regulation with two pressure-packed free throws then Cone’s B-Meg took care of business in overtime to clinch it over Reyes’ Talk ‘N Text, 90-84.
For their next tussle, Cone braces for a different type of TNT – one that’s made its living stopping opponents.
“He has done a tremendous job of turning that team into a defensive juggernaut which reflects the personality of his best player in Rondae (Hollis-Jefferson),” said Cone. “He formed his team around Rondae and into a defensive team. That’s something we’ll really battle when we play.”
Reyes’ troops led by RHJ, Jayson Castro, RR Pogoy, Calvin Oftana, Rey Nambatac and Kelly Williams and Cone’s crew led by Justin Brownlee, Scottie Thompson, Japeth Aguilar, Stephen Holt and RJ Abarrientos fire the opening salvo in the race-to-four Last Dance on Sunday in Antipolo.