Justin Brownlee (with ball) played limited minutes for the Ginebra Gin Kings in their last meeting against the Meralco Bolts. —AUGUST DELA CRUZ
Barangay Ginebra took care of business when it last battled Meralco, a side that seemingly has started to figure out the Gin Kings in what used to be a one-sided rivalry.
Yet, coach Tim Cone believes that his charges’ 91-87 triumph over the Bolts that closed their respective Commissioner’s Cup elimination round schedules will hardly be of use when they open their best-of-three quarterfinals series on Wednesday.
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SCHEDULE: 2024-2025 PBA Commissioner’s Cup quarterfinals
“It’s hard to read off that game because the import didn’t play and Justin [Brownlee] played minimal minutes,” Cone said on the eve of their 7:30 p.m. clash at Smart Araneta Coliseum. “Both teams also played their guys off the bench for elongated minutes, so you know, it’s hard to [predict] what’s going to happen.”
Cone is particularly wary of Meralco import Akil Mitchell, who sat out their last meeting no thanks to an ailing back.
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“Obviously, he has a huge, huge impact on the game, and that’s something we have to account for going into the series,” he added.
Mitchell has been integral in the Bolts’ campaign this conference, leading Meralco to a 7-2 record in games he played in.
Curiously, Meralco coach Luigi Trillo struck a similar refrain when he talked about his American import.
“You look at the injuries [that shelved] Akil and we’re 7-2 throughout those games. We could’ve easily been 9-2,” he said, but not without stressing how stacked the Gin Kings are.
“A lot of headaches with all those guys added—Troy Rosario, [RJ] Abarrientos added, [Stephen] Holt—all those guys,” he added.
Painters vs FiberXers
And so it would be interesting how the two teams would navigate the rekindling of their rivalry.
The same could be said in the 5 p.m. curtain-raiser that will pit a young, retooled Converge side against an unpredictable Rain or Shine crew that share striking similarities.
Like the ElastoPainters, the FiberXers are also filled with youthful talents that play like veterans. Both teams have also been trying their darndest to get over their respective humps, making for a truly mouthwatering series where quarters won’t be given.
“Hopefully, we get to put ourselves in a chance to get a win [toward] the end,” interim coach Franco Atienza of Converge told the Inquirer.
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Converge beat Rain or Shine, 103-96, in their first meeting.
