TOUGH ROAD AHEAD
Even after a big win over a bitter foe, the road to a twice-to-beat advantage in the PBA Philippine Cup quarterfinals doesn’t look to be a smooth one at all for Barangay Ginebra.
“It was a game that we needed,” said Jamie Malonzo, whose layup and three-pointer down the stretch helped the Gin Kings get an 85-81 comeback win over Magnolia on Sunday at Smart Araneta Coliseum, where the Hotshots unveiled a new, younger piece they traded for just days before.
Ginebra spoiled the Magnolia debut of prized acquisition William Navarro to rise to 6-3 and be ahead of TNT and Rain or Shine, who have identical 5-3 slates. The Gin Kings are slightly behind Magnolia and NLEX, now even at 7-2 each, and 6-2 San Miguel Beer.
And there’s little room for error left for Ginebra as it next battles tough TNT, which got a shot in the arm in its quest to complete a historic Grand Slam when its trade with Converge to acquire Jordan Heading for the rights to Mikey Williams was finally approved after it curiously took five days for the league to review the deal.
Both trades have created a drastic shift in the complexion of the title race for the most important prize of the PBA season, with Magnolia hoping to end its long title drought once Navarro gets acclimated with his new surroundings and TNT looking like a team capable of getting the third jewel in its dream of immortality.
“I like our group, I like our continuity, and I’ll make sure our team measures up with anybody,” coach Tim Cone said. “On any given night, we feel that we can beat anybody. So it’s just trying to figure out a way to bring your A-game.”
The win shook off the ill-effects of Friday’s 82-73 loss to defending champion Meralco that also led to Cone’s ejection for two technical fouls after entering the court twice to express his frustrations over officiating.
Patented comeback
Ginebra seemed headed for another defeat when Magnolia took a 71-61 lead in the fourth, but Stephen Holt and Malonzo sparked a signature rally that enabled the Gin Kings to get one up anew over their sister team.
It was Ginebra’s fourth straight victory over Magnolia, dating back to last year’s all-Filipino tourney.
“It shows the true character of the team when you bounce back from adversity and we got the win,” said Holt.
Showing the same resolve will be tested anew on Sunday at Ninoy Aquino Stadium against TNT, which could be with Heading on the court depending on the southpaw guard’s condition. Heading has not played since the Commissioner’s Cup due to a back injury.
Meanwhile, the loss was a stinger for the Hotshots, who could have created some separation from the rest of the pack, and possibly get the twice-to-beat virtually secured with an eighth win.
Magnolia also has a tough schedule ahead with NLEX as its next opponent at Ninoy for the lead in the standings on Friday.
“We cannot dwell on this one,” Victolero said. “The important thing is that we still have destiny in our hands in terms of the twice-to-beat.”
