SMB fightback bothers Cone

Game today:

(Smart Araneta Coliseum)

7:30 p.m. — San Miguel Beer vs Ginebra

Barangay Ginebra San Miguel may have taken a 3-2 lead against San Miguel Beer in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Governors’ Cup semifinals series but doesn’t allay head coach Tim Cone’s fears.

After all, looking at the trend of the best-of-seven series, there’s the fear of the Beermen coming back to level the showdown, a valid reason why the Gin Kings are taking the crucial Game 6 with extra caution today at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Ginebra regained the series advantage after blowing past San Miguel, 121-92, in Game 5 last Friday.

“Again, can we follow it up? That’s the big question,” Cone said as a challenge to his team ahead of the 7:30 p.m. showdown.

“It’s really hard to follow it up against a team like San Miguel.”

The Gin Kings will play the first of their two attempts to close the series and rekindle their championship rivalry against finals-bound defending champion TNT.

The Tropang Giga booked the first best-of-seven finals seat after finishing off Rain or Shine in five games.

Ginebra has not won back-to-back in the series while San Miguel has just played chase.

Cone knows the Beermen won’t go down without a fight.

“I mean, I keep telling our team that the hardest win in a playoff is after you’ve won,” the decorated mentor said.

“That’s the hardest because the other team is gonna come back with adjustments, with more fire, a different mindset, like we did today, we had a different mindset,” Cone said of the Gin Kings’ bounce back victory that put them closer to setting a rematch against their tormentor in the previous edition of the tournament.

Cone hopes to see the same fire his squad shown last game where Ginebra shot 54.8 percent from the field and shared the ball well with 31 assists compared to just six turnovers.