Ni MARIVIC AWITAN
Kung dati ay hindi nakukuntento at hindi nasisiyahan ang multi-titled coach na si Tim Cone kapag hindi gaanong maganda ang ipinapakita ng kanyang team, taliwas ang naging ekspresyon ng two-time grand slam coach ng PBA sa naitalang 102-84, double overtime win ng Barangay Ginebra kontra Blackwater noong Sabado ng gabi, sa Petron Saturday Special ng 2016 PBA Philippine Cup, na ginanap sa Angeles City, Pampanga.
Ni hindi nag-aalala si Cone at hindi rin niya alintana na nagdaan pa sila ng dalawang extensions upang makamit ang asam na ikalimang tagumpay sa siyam na laban na nagbigay sa kanila ng slot sa quarterfinal round.
“I told the guys before the game that we’re gonna bleed for this one and we bled a lot more than I thought we’re going to. These are the kind of games that our team, our guys need to play and battle for and reach deep, for these are character games for us we’re trying to build character,” pahayag ni Cone matapos ang laban.
Goodbye PBA? John Amores, tinanggalan na ng professional license!
Ayon pa kay Cone, ganitong mga laro ang kailangan ng kanyang koponan upang mas ma-develop at mabigkis. “ This kind of game that we got behind, got ahead, we got a chance to win it a couple of times and didn’t but still kept our heads up and kept going, these are important for us to develop as a team, as a unit, so it’s a lot more fun learning from wins than learning from our losses. I am glad that we won and am glad we learned a little bit more tonight.”
Sina ace guard LA Tenorio at rookie Scottie Thompson ang nagsalba sa Kings matapos magtala ng tig-isang crucial three-pointers sa ikalawang extension period.
Ngunit nilinaw naman ni Cone na hindi hanggang sa pagpasok lamang sa quarterfinals sila dapat na makuntento.
“This is the only thing that we’re going to reach and we’re not going to be satisfied,” ani Cone. “We got to be in the top six and that’s really our target.”
