October 19, 2017

Can Meralco keep up the heat and tie the series?

The league pays tribute to the season's best performers, then Barangay Ginebra and Meralco resume their title playoff that's now a cauldron of emotions following the sour ending of Game Three on Wednesday.

San Miguel Beer gentle giant June Mar Fajardo is expected to take the spotlight as the winner for the fourth straight time of the Most Valuable Player trophy in the Leo Awards set to start at 5:30 p.m. at the Big Dome.

Alex Cabagnot, Chris Ross, Arwind Santos, Japeth Aguilar and LA Tenorio are many others that may also be hailed as among the season's achievers.

Then the Gin Kings and the Bolts resume their PBA Governors Cup championship showdown now more interesting as Meralco got back into the fight with its breakthrough 94-81 win in Game Three.

Adding spice for the rest of the series was the Tim Cone-Norman Black quarrel at the end of the last game.

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Cone may have apologized but he has certainly lit up emotions.

"Everybody knows Tim is the leader in wins and championships in the PBA. I've never in my life made any effort to tell how to coach his team so I don't need him helping mine. He didn't shake my hands because he's mad with the last timeout I called. That's his problem, not mine," said Black in the post-game interview Wednesday night.

Cone, however, issued an apology the morning after the match.

"I regret my actions after Game Three ended. Yes, I was upset about the timeout that was called late in the game, but there is no one in the PBA that I respect more than Norman Black. I got caught up in the moment and could have handled it differently," he said.

Technically, both sides have adjustments to make especially the Bolts with the exit of Ranidel de Ocampo on a torn calf muscle.

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"We will have to make some adjustments because RDO will be out for the rest of the series. Other guys will have to step up," said Black.

"It's important that we continue to be solid on defense and also make some perimeter jump shots to give AD (Allen Durham) more room to maneuver inside the paint," Black added.

In blowing away a bid at a 3-0 lead, the Kings, meanwhile, now brace for a war of attrition.
Ginebra chief playmaker LA Tenorio hopes they can pull off a bounce-back win of their own to defuse pressure the Bolts can inflict on them.

"Nabulaga kami (we were caught by surprise)," said Tenorio of Reynel Hugnatan's 22-point explosion Wednesday.

"This may be the time coach Tim has been waiting for, because we've never made any adjustment from our semi-final series against TNT," said Tenorio. "We have to adjust. We have to account Reynel now because Ranidel is injured."

As for him and his teammates, Tenorio said they must treat Game Four like a do-or-die game.

"We have to have the do-or-die mentality. Even before Game Three, I was telling my teammates the same. Iba yung aggressiveness if you play a do-or-die game," Tenorio pointed out.