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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Basketball devider Cone, Scottie concede TNT is better team

Cone, Scottie concede TNT is better team

Published Mar 30, 2025 05:15 am

At A Glance

  • Barangay Ginebra head coach Tim Cone and star guard Scottie Thompson conceded that TNT remained the better team as they absorbed yet another heartbreaking Finals loss.

Barangay Ginebra head coach Tim Cone and star guard Scottie Thompson conceded that TNT remained the better team as they absorbed yet another heartbreaking Finals loss.


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The Kings have now suffered their third straight loss in the Finals against the Tropang Giga, though the recent PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup showdown was the closest they have gotten after dragging the series to a winner-take-all Game 7.

Ginebra and TNT even needed an extra five minutes to the contest to determine the winner before the Kings seemingly lost steam in the end.

“Tough game, tough loss. But they deserved the championship,” said Thompson after Ginebra’s 87-83 heartbreak in the overtime thriller.

“It hurts, but I think there’s more chances pa naman,” he added.

For a moment, Ginebra actually looked like it's finally getting over the hump against TNT when Justin Brownlee buried a top of the key triple – reminiscent of his shot in the Finals back in 2016 which ended the Kings eight-year title drought.

But TNT proved to be the steadier team down the stretch with Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Rey Nambatac, Calvin Oftana and even Glenn Khobuntin delivering the big hits down the stretch.

“They made the big plays down the stretch. That’s all I have to say, what else do I have to say?” said Cone. 

“They deserved it more than we did in a classic Finals with an overtime during the seventh game, I don’t remember that happening before,” he added.

Ginebra actually took a 3-2 series lead after back-to-back wins in Games 4 and 5 but have also suffered back-to-back defeats, the first a 87-83 defeat in Game 6.

“I don’t think much about it right now because we lost,” said Cone, who found no consolation in almost another Brownlee heroic.

“I’m not going to be thrilled about anything at this point. I’m not a really good loser, let’s put it that way. Bottomline is we lost, they deserve it and they deserve that celebration,” he added.

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