BARANGAY Ginebra is just one win away from clinching a semifinals berth in the PBA Philippine Cup.
For coach Tim Cone though, all the Kings did was to earn a twice-to-beat edge against the Magnolia Hotshots.
"We really didn't do anything. It was I guess, put ourselves in the same situation as Rain or Shine and Phoenix," said Cone, referring to the top two seeded teams which carry a twice-beat advantage in the playoffs.
Nonetheless, the Kings will try to get the job done Monday as they seek to finish off the Hotshots in Game 2 of their best-of-three quarterfinals series at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The earlier they could do, the better.
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Not lost on Cone was how Magnolia battled its way back from as much as a 21-point deficit before falling short in a 75-86 loss in the series opener Saturday night.
The Ginebra coach admitted being on pins and needles when the Hotshots were making a late run in the final quarter.
"That team just doesn't go away. We played some really excellent basketball out there especially on defense. We defended very well," said Cone.
"But that team doesn't go away. I was nervous until the last 40 seconds when we finally felt that we won it."
It was that Ginebra defense which actually compounded Magnolia's woes, holding the Hotshots to a 30 percent shooting from the field, including 1-of-6 from three-point range by ace guard Paul Lee.
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As the Hotshots struggled with their shots, the Kings went on a huge 16-0 rampage in the second quarter to turn the game around and take control.
The game's biggest run allowed Ginebra to stretch a slim 21-20 edge into a 37-20 lead, with back-up wingman Art dela Cruz leading the charge.
Dela Cruz finished with 14 points in his best game in a Ginebra uniform, while big man Greg Slaughter had a double-double of 15 points and 12 rebounds.
Game 3 if necessary, will be played on Wednesday. (RG)
