SHOWING lots of bravery in Barangay Ginebra San Miguel’s best-of-seven finals’ series with the TNT Tropang Giga will get them to where the team needs to go.
And that is to win the 49th Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup crown.
Gin Kings’ coach Tim Cone said this as they get ready for Game 3 on Wednesday at the 7:30 p.m. at the Philsports Arena in Pasig.
“There’s no magic in this game. These guys just showed grit all the way through the game. And when you do that, you’ll have a chance in the series,” said Cone, who expects no less than the same toughness in Game 3.
The multi-titled mentor shared this after the Gin Kings escaped with a 71-70 verdict over the TNT Tropang Giga on Sunday night at the Mall of Asia Arena.
With the series tied at 1-all, Cone feels that displaying courage at critical moments of the game will define the character of the team.
“They’re gonna have to show some character and true grit,” added Cone.
In Game 2, it was Brownlee’s heroics at endgame, which got the team out of trouble. That’s when TNT threatened with a 12-3 rally, to get the lead for the first time, 68-67, with 3:58 left to play.
Two stops on Rondae Hollis-Jefferson eventually settled the contest in Ginebra’s favor.
For Brownlee, getting Game 3 will mean that the team needs to show some hunger.
“We definitely feel good about winning tonight and tying the series, but it’s still no satisfaction right now. I think we just got to stay hungry, especially with the past history,” Brownlee said.