Tropang Giga deserves Commissioner’s Cup title as they made big plays down the stretch, Tim Cone says

HEAD COACH Tim Cone, Justin Brownlee and the entire Barangay Ginebra offer no excuses in yet another defeat to the TNT Tropang Giga.

Though still no answers on what could have gone right this time around, the Gin Kings gave credit where credit is due as the Tropang Giga got the better of them once again for the second straight conference and third overall since last year.

“They made the big plays down the stretch, we didn’t. What else can I say? They deserved it, more than we did,” chimed Mr. Cone in a short talk at the Smart Araneta Coliseum tunnel just beside the TNT dugout blaring in celebration.

“It was a classic finals that went to overtime and seven games. I don’t remember that happening before.”

Ginebra, a 2-4 series loser to TNT in the 2023 and 2024 Governors’ Cup, was on the verge of a sweet vengeance this conference after snatching a 3-2 lead with two straight wins but to no avail.

The Gin Kings lost two in a row, none bigger than a tough 83-87 defeat in overtime (OT) of Game 7, where they bled for just four points as Calvin Oftana’s heroics in the last six seconds lifted TNT nearer to a Grand Slam.

“It could have gone either way and it went to them. I don’t think much about it right now because we lost. I’m not going to be thrilled about anything at this point. I’m not a really good loser, to put it this way. The bottomline is we lost and they deserve it and they deserve the celebration,” Mr. Cone added.

Mr. Cone and Ginebra last ruled the PBA in the 2023 Commissioner’s Cup against guest team Bay Area in front of a record-breaking crowd of 54,589 fans at the Philippine Arena, losing the three finals they went through since then — all against the Tropang Giga.

Mr. Brownlee, too, as he now sports a 0-3 head-to-head finals record against now three-time Best Import and three-time champion Rondae Hollis-Jefferson after an unbeaten run in his first six PBA finals.

“It’s definitely heartbreaking. Man, it was tough for the team. We were up 3-2. We really felt like we could win it. TNT is a great team and they showed over and over why they deserve to be champions,” sighed Mr. Brownlee, also the naturalized player for Mr. Cone and Gilas Pilipinas.

Still, it’s not the end of the road for the Gin Kings as Mr. Brownlee and company promise to bounce back with hopes of finally getting one on the Tropang Giga in the much-awaited 50th season of Asia’s oldest professional league.

“The loss is definitely hitting hard. But we still got the never say die spirit. It’s a tough loss for us and we’ll be down in a while but we’re going to get back up and we’re going to come back better,” vowed Mr. Brownlee, whose iconic top-of-the-key triple like his buzzer-beater in 2016 against Meralco sent the game to OT.

But for now, Ginebra has to do it alone without Mr. Brownlee in the forthcoming Philippine Cup as one of the challengers to TNT’s bid for a rare Grand Slam feat. — John Bryan Ulanday