THE loss to TNT in the PBA Governors Cup finals certainly left a bad taste on the mouth for Barangay Ginebra coach Tim Cone.
But he's not about to make excuses as the champion coach admitted the Tropang Giga deserved the championship.
"We lost to the better team. And I felt we just ran out of steam down the stretch," said Cone as he looked back on the 95-85 loss the Kings suffered in the series-clinching Game 6 over the weekend at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Ginebra lost the best-of-seven title duel, 4-2, and failed to regain the crown it lost to the same team last season.
Cone said the Tropang Giga defended well Ginebra's patented Triangle Offense.
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"You've got to give TNT the credit. They really clamped down on our Triangle. We weren't executing as well as we could and mostly it's because of their defense," said the 66-year-old champion mentor.
"Sometimes you just got to tip off your cap to the other team."
Still, the Barangay Ginebra coach was proud at how the Kings were able to give the top seeded Tropang Giga a run for their money despite being down 0-2 early in the series while nursing injuries to key players that include Isaac Go, Jamie Malonzo, and Jeremiah Gray.
"But our guys showed up. They came back from that tough Game 5 and showed a lot of fight," said Cone.
He added being happy though, to see rival and good friend Chot Reyes winning another championship in the league after coming back from his stint with Gilas Pilipinas in the last FIBA World Cup.
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"I just wished it wasn't on my personal expense," said Cone. "But it is what it is." (RG)
