Tim Cone has given Barangay Ginebra seek answers in just 24 hours to bounce back from what he called a “terrible game.” The Ginebra coach emphasized that the Kings can’t afford another performance like their 87-80 loss to Meralco on Wednesday night if they hope to stay in the PBA Philippine Cup semifinals series. This defeat at the Dasmarinas City Arena was Ginebra’s second straight loss, putting the second-seeded Kings behind in the best-of-seven series for the first time, 2-1. “We were really outplayed. What can I tell you? Terrible game,” a frustrated Cone said as he left the venue with assistants Richard Del Rosario and Olsen Racela. “We didn’t deserve it. They did,” he continued. “They outshot us, they outplayed us, outcoached us.”
Meralco dominated the game from the start, never allowing Ginebra to find their rhythm, except for an early 2-0 lead. Even though Ginebra had advantages in some areas, the Kings shot only 36 percent from the field (28-of-76), while Meralco shot 40 percent (33-of-81). Additionally, Ginebra was outscored in fastbreak points, 17-8, and points from turnovers, 17-10.
