Magnolia will once again look to book a berth in the finals, while Barangay Ginebra shoots for a rubber match as the longtime rivals continue their best-of-five semifinal duel in the 2018 Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup.
After failing to gain entry to the finals on their first attempt, the Hotshots try again while the Gin Kings look to stay alive once more in their Game 4 clash at 7 p.m. today at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City.
In a thrilling Game 3 finish last Wednesday night, Barangay Ginebra was able to fully flaunt its “never-say-die” mantra as it staved off elimination to make the series 2-1, still in Magnolia’s favor.
After trailing by 19 points early on, the Gin Kings refused to roll over and die as they fought back to eventually win and keep their title defense alive.
LA Tenorio’s late bucket propelled Ginebra to its 107-103 victory in Game 3.
Looking forward to Game 4 and the rest of the way, Ginebra coach Tim Cone shared his sentiments on how his team can have a chance to win against Magnolia.
“They are incredibly well-coached. The thing is, when we’re playing Greg (Slaughter) and Japeth (Aguilar), we have to beat them with those match-ups and we can’t beat their smalls beat us,” said Cone.
The multi-titled mentor went further by saying that their bigs will be the key if they want a return trip to the finals.
“If we’re gonna win, our bigs have to be more effective than their smalls. We’ll keep trying. The ultimate goal is winning. Whatever it takes to find a way to win, we’re going to find that way,” said Cone.
While Cone got ejected in Game 2, it was Magnolia coach Chito Victolero’s turn in Game 3 as he was tossed for improperly addressing game officials.
The Hotshots are now looking to make that a rallying point to finally gain a berth in the big stage.