MANILA – Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings will aim to clinch the 2020 Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup crown when they face TNT Tropang Giga in Game 5 at the AUF Sports Arena and Cultural Center in Pampanga tonight.
The Kings will head into the match slated at six in the evening with a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series following their 98-88 triumph over Tropang Giga on Sunday night.
LA Tenorio was instrumental in the Kings’ Game 4 win with his late triples that prevented Tropang Giga’s uprising while fellow veterans Japeth Aguilar, Stanley Pringle, Joe Devance, Jared Dillinger, and Jeffrei Chan also did their share.
“Game 4 is our best game of the series by far and, I think, the best game of the conference,” Kings head coach Tim Cone said. “We hit big shots, we made plays, we made defensive plays, held the lead for the most part and then they made their big run.”
“You can count on experience in the playoffs. We definitely have the game plan coming in with those guys,” added the winningest PBA mentor. “I hope we can carry it over into Wednesday.”
If ever the Gin Kings complete their job tonight, this will be the franchise’s first All-Filipino conference championship since 2007. While it will be the team’s second consecutive PBA title after ruling the 2019 PBA Governors’ Cup earlier this year.
On the part of the Tropang Giga, head coach Ferdinand “Bong” Ravena said while they are not yet giving up, he admits that they are underdogs now due to injuries.
Bobby Ray Parks Jr. and Jayson Castro remain uncertain of suiting up for Game 5 as the former is still recovering from a strained left calf while the latter sustained bone spurs on his knee.
“Kung nandiyan lang sila, malamang hindi kami ganun ka-dehado,” said the Ilonggo coach. “Alam mo ‘yun, may tao-tao, maganda sana rin. Kaso pag wala ‘yung dalawa, talagang ang layo ng discrepancy.”
“Hopefully maging okay na si Ray sa Game 5 and we will see Jayson’s condition din,” he added. “They are both working on their injuries naman so hopefully they will be available by that game.”/PN
