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With its back against the wall, NorthPort will play for pride and try to avoid a sweep in engaging Barangay Ginebra in Game Four of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinals at the Smart Araneta Coliseum tonight. It’s an almost impossible task for the Batang Pier to survive the series. Beating Ginebra four in a row to make it to the Finals is a dream.
But Coach Bonnie Tan isn’t looking beyond Game Four. His goal is to win tonight and if it happens, then he goes back to the drawing board to plan for the next skirmish. Is it doable? Clearly, NorthPort’s defense is the problem. The Batang Pier has given up an average of 120.3 points in the semis compared to 105.5 in the elims. Ginebra is on a roll and has shot over 50 percent in every game of the semis. NorthPort’s inability to obstruct the passing lanes has led to Ginebra chalking up 36 assists in Games One, Two and Three.
According to PBA chief statistician Fidel Mangonon, Ginebra has registered at least 30 assists in four straight contests under coach Tim Cone in the past. But dishing out 36 three games in a row has to be a record. Ginebra’s outside artillery has also been outstanding. Cone’s troops are averaging 13.3 triple conversions in the semis while NorthPort is draining 6.7 a game. To top it all, Ginebra is norming 52.3 rebounds and NorthPort, 37.
Ginebra’s dominance has allowed Cone to extend his rotation to 16 in Game Three, giving his core a lot of rest. That’s crucial because Ginebra has five players who traveled with Gilas on a grueling trip traversing different time zones in nine days recently. It’s motivation for Cone to sweep so that there’s more recovery time for Justin Brownlee, Japeth Aguilar, Scottie Thompson, Jamie Malonzo and Troy Rosario.
Cone, however, doesn’t seem to be the sweeping type. Only once has he blanked an opponent in a best-of-seven semis. That was when he coached Alaska over Ginebra in the 2009-10 Philippine Cup. In Cone’s 25 Finals wins, none was a sweep. Of the 25, 21 were best-of-seven affairs and eight went the distance.
No less than a total team effort on both ends is what NorthPort needs to win tonight. Kadeem Jack grabbed only three rebounds and Joshua Munzon tied a conference-low five points in Game Three. Arvin Tolentino hit at a 23.0 clip in the elims and in the semis, it’s down to 11.7. William Navarro went from scoring 23 in Game Two to a quiet three in Game Three. Tan has the weapons to give any team fits. NorthPort was No. 1 in the elims but the Batang Pier has looked shell-shocked in the semis and shown too much respect for Ginebra. Unless Tan’s charges start believing in themselves like they did in the elims, Ginebra will broom its way to the Last Dance tonight.
