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Friday, March 29, 2024

Cone felt lonely winning inside PBA ‘bubble’

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The feeling of celebrating a championship all by themselves was different.

Cone felt lonely winning inside PBA ‘bubble’
Barangay Ginebra coach Tim Cone speaks to an online audience while confetti falls around him after the Gin Kings won the 2020 PBA Philippine Cup crown. PBA

Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Gin Kings coach Tim Cone said this after they went through a five-game finals conquest of the TNT Tropang Giga in the 2020 Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup Finals Wednesday last week.

“Looking around, what do we do? How do we celebrate this? And the confetti was getting to our senses. Usually when you win a finals, you turn around, there’s your family, and there’s the fans,” said Cone days after their 82-78 triumph over Tropang Giga.

The Gin Kings also felt alone in their revelries back at their place of billeting Hotel Quest.

That’s because, they have spent 73 days together under a bubble, and in lockdown because of health and safety protocols that have been put up in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

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“Ang hanap kasi namin ay families and friends. After the championship na makasama is family. Good thing, we found ways,” said Tenorio.

At first, the Gin Kings got ready for two months of isolation.

And that was with Tenorio, Japeth Aguilar, and Greg Slaughter not around.

Tenorio went through an offseason injury and surgery because of appendicitis before eventually returning on the floor.

Aguilar later came into the bubble, and got in shape,  while Slaughter went on a sabbatical in the United States.

That Gin Kings went on an 8-3 run in the elimination and earned the top seed in the playoffs.

In reaching the finals, Ginebra first got past Rain or Shine with  Typhoon Ulysses ravaging the country.

After that, the Gin Kings endured a five-game series against the tough Meralco Bolts.

The season ended for the Gin Kings with Aguilar hitting a career-high of 32 points thrice, and he last did it during Game 5.

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