Catching whiff of blood in water, Kings hunt for playoff protection

The playoff bonus will be in action for Barangay Ginebra this Wednesday, and coach Tim Cone is confident that the Governors’ Cup champions will take the opportunity by the throat.

“These guys will be ready,” Cone said of his charges, who play 2-8 (win-loss) Terrafirma in a 5:45 p.m. game at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City. “He could smell the blood in the water and I thought he was ready [and] get Top 4.”

With two games to spare, Gin Kings can lay claim to the second-to-beat protection by winning only one, and between Dyip and league-leading TNT, it is a perennial whipping boy who is shaping up as easy prey.

Despite injuries to Japeth Aguilar and LA Tenorio, the Gin Kings have proven to be a formidable bunch.

Jamie Malonzo supported his good play, Jeremiah Gray stepped up to the plate, while Christian Standhardinger returned for a double-double as when he was the brightest star in NorthPort.

“After getting blown out by Magnolia, we’re not sure where we’re going to be at this point. But guys have responded well. Just battled. They’ve battled,” Cone said.

the race is complicated

“As [we’ve said] we just keep trucking, no matter what happens, we just move together and that’s it,” he added. “There’s a lot of character on this team. And I think that’s a championship character that they’ve developed from the last conference and they’re trying to bring it to this conference.

Meanwhile, Magnolia is looking to give itself a chance in the complicated race for playoff protection when it ends the elimination phase against Blackwater at 3:00 pm contest.

The easier part is to defeat Bossing who has been eliminated (1-9). Even more difficult for the Hotshots (6-4) is needing a team in the top half of the standings to lose.

“We no longer control what happens [beyond] our game,” Magnolia coach Chito Victolero said. “What we can control is the game, so we have to take care of business.”

“We just have to prepare hard for the playoffs – train hard and have the right mindset. The most important thing here is that we have a chance to advance,” he said.

After Wednesday’s doubleheader, the Philippine Basketball Association caravan heads to Passi City in Iloilo province for the first All-Star weekend in two years.

The last time the league held its mid-season event was in Calasiao, Pangasinan province.

This year’s Revelries will begin on March 9 and feature an Obstacle Challenge, Three-Point Shootout, a Slam Dunk Contest and a Rookies-Sophomores-Juniors matchup. The All-Star Game is scheduled for Sunday at the City of Passi Arena. INQ

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