THE Barangay Ginebra Kings, under coach Tim Cone, have won it all -- the All-Filipino, the import-laden conferences, a tourney in a bubble setup. You name it, they have it.
Now comes the opportunity to be on the mountaintop of an Invitational.
The league's last line of defense against a lethal guest team, the Kings are a game away from completely repelling the invasion, and they go for it in Game 6 of their PBA Commissioner's Cup best-of-seven title playoff versus the Bay Area Dragons Wednesday at the Smart Arena Coliseum.
Tip-off is at 5:45 p.m. with Ginebra determined to finish off a rival which could be very dangerous given life to battle in a deciding Game 7.
Just for this Big Dome jaunt, the Dragons could be back as a fire-breathing squad on Myles Powell reentry as Bay Area import in lieu of the injury-hit Andrew Nicholson.
Still uncertain is the status of ace guard Glen Yang.
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Minus Nicholson and Yang, the Kings took control majority of the way en route to a 101-91 win Sunday for the pivotal 3-2 lead in the race-to-four dispute.
They say closing out is the toughest in a series, but the Kings are expected to be locked-in on that. The mindset should be now or never as they don't want to play another game where the Dragons are back in full strength.
They eye final disposal of the Dragons. And if they're able to pull off the job, the Kings will break off a tie with Magnolia and Alaska as the league's second most winningest squad with a 15th championship.
Ginebra, if ever, will also celebrate a seventh title with Cone in the last seven years.
But it is still easier said than done versus what Cone described as a talented, well-disciplined, well-coached bunch.
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Cone noted different guys taking charge for the Dragons in each of the first five games - from Nicholson, Yang, Kobey Lam, Hayden Blankley to Qilong Zheng.
Then there's also Ginebra's own health woes.
LA Tenorio sat out the last quarter in Game 5 due to a strained hamstring.
But the Kings are the first on the hill and are expected to pour it all in a bid to get the job done.
And if the Game 5 gate attendance is any indication, then a mammoth crowd of over 20,000 might greet PBA's first game at the Big Dome in 2023.
If Ginebra is foiled, then the two teams slug it out in a duel for all the marbles at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan Friday. (SB)
