Angry Kings

MICHAEL Qualls and NorthPort try to bury Ginebra to 0-2 hole.

Embarrassed in the series opener, Barangay Ginebra tries to bounce back from an ugly loss against NorthPort in Game 2 of their best-of-five semifinal series in the 2019 Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Governors’ Cup today at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

They face off anew at 7 in the evening with the Batang Pier hoping to make a follow up to their impressive 124-90 triumph in Game 1 to draw the first blood in the series.

“It was a very ugly performance. It was embarrassing. They wanted it more than we did. It was one of the worst first games I’ve ever been in on this side. They beat us in all aspects so we have to comeback better next time,” said Ginebra head coach Tim Cone, who turned 62 Saturday obviously not getting the present he wanted from his team.

The American mentor admitted his team was outclassed Saturday night but he did not give the just-concluded Southeast Asian Games as an excuse for their poor performance particularly in the final quarter.

Cone called the shots for Gilas Pilipinas, which won the gold in the biennial meet, and the core of the Phl 5 came from his squad.

“I just think lack of preparation. They had their guy (Christian Standhardinger) missing too. Most of our coaching staff wasn’t ready. They really did a good job and came in with a great game plan,” he added.

After a close first period, the Gin Kings were just trailing by 10 entering the fourth quarter then Batang Pier waxed hot, led by the streaky of Garvo Lanete to pull away from a tight contest.

At one point, NorthPort led by 37 points after Lanete hit three straight triples, 122-85, with under two minutes left in the game.

Batang Pier import Michael Qualls had another solid game for the team with 38 points and 15 rebounds while Lanete came off the bench and unloaded 21 of his 24 points in the decisive fourth quarter. Standhardinger was also solid in NorthPort’s win with 16 markers, 15 rebounds and six assists.

Head coach Pido Jarencio expects Cone, the winningest mentor in PBA history with 21 titles, to make the necessary adjustments and brace for a Ginbera fightback.

“Tim Cone for sure will adjust. I have to go through the tapes and try and see where they will adjust on and same thing with us we’re gonna have to adjust as well,” said Jarencio, whose team has won five straight now including four knockout games.

“Actually, after those four knockout games, the momentum is still there and the players, they’re really hungry,” he added.

Justine Brownlee had 24 points, 19 rebounds and six assists in Ginebra’s Game 1 loss while Stanley Pringle, the former NorthPort guard, chipped in 21 markers.

But no other local managed to hit double figures in scoring for the Gin Kings in that series opener defeat.