BATTLE RESUMES AT BIG DOME
BARANGAY Ginebra San Miguel head coach Tim Cone knows the great wall of a defense the Gin Kings used in fending off the Hong Kong Bay Area Dragons in Game 1 will be up for a much tougher test as they go for a 2-0 Finals series lead in the Philippine Basketball Association Cup Commissioner’s Cup.
“Their coach is brilliant so he’s going to figure out a way to penetrate our defense and we expect a huge battle,” Cone told Businessmirror on Tuesday. “We have to be agile and ready to make our own adjustments.”
Ginebra tries to create more separation over the visiting team in Game 2 set at 5:45 p.m. at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Gin Kings were tremendous in defense that Hong Kong’s snipers and slashers were shackled all game long resulting to a 96-81 victory the home team pulled off before 18,252 fans who packed the Mall of Asia Arena on Christmas Day Sunday.
Bay Area coach Brian Goorjian didn’t conceal his team’s mission of breaking Ginebra’s defense.
“We have to come out with a solution,” said Goorjian, whose coaching smarts send shivers down his rivals’ spines as he marked his career with a still-fresh bronze medal finish for Australia at last year’s Tokyo Olympics.
Goorjian said his team would definitely address Ginebra’s clamping defense especially on his prolific import Andrew Nicholson, who churned in below-normal numbers in Game 1.
“He got to be able to move somehow…everywhere he goes to step, a guy steps in front of him, smacks him,” Goorjian said.
The 6-foot-10 former Orlando Magic power forward struggled in offense but still managed 27 points and 12 rebounds in Game 1. His teammates, however, fell victim to the Gin Kings’ brute force.
Hayden Blankley averaged 12.5 points before the Finals but missed all his shots from the field and got only four points from the foul line. The Dragons also made 30 of 78 shots as against the Gin Kings’ 38 of 76 in Game 1.
Goorjian also acknowledged Justin Brownlee as a major problem.
“Over the course of the game, what stood out was ‘we got to do something about Brownlee,’” he said.
Brownlee led the Gin Kings with 28 points, 13 rebounds and six assists, while LA Tenorio flashed veteran form and finished with 22 points. Christian Standhardinger, who was responsible for making life difficult for Nicholson, scattered 16 points and collected 10 rebounds.
Fortunately for Cone, Brownlee’s a go for Game 2 despite an injury scare in Game 1 where he rolled his ankle.
“He’s good to go,” said Cone as he also acknowledged Ginebra’s fan support as a great motivator. “I am hoping the fans will rally behind us again.”