ANTIPOLO -- The hardest part of traveling in various parts of the country is one of the things Ginebra has been trying to get accustomed to as it continues to find its old form in the PBA Philippine Cup.
Three of Ginebra's first four games in the season-opening conference were played outside of Metro Manila and its upcoming game on Feb. 9 against Blackwater will be held in Digos, Davao del Sur.
Being the league's most popular ballclub is both a reward and a task for Ginebra, which is why coach Tim Cone is urging his team to be more prepared for their latest trip.
"I always tell my players to control the things you can control. We cannot control the schedule so we have to deal with it the best we can," Cone said after Ginebra's 97-85 victory over the Columbian Dyip on Saturday here.
The result snapped the Kings' two-game skid that included an 83-80 loss to the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters last Jan. 26 in Calasiao, Pangasinan.
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Ginebra opened the season 13 days earlier with a 90-79 romp of TNT KaTropa at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan while it's only game in the metro was a 99-91 setback to San Miguel Beer last Jan. 20.
"The travel wears you out," Cone admitted. "It's tough road for us, but we're Ginebra. Where we go, the fans go, they need us around so we understand that, we accept it.
"That doesn't make it easier for us like I said, we accept it and we accept the challenge of it," he added.
After the Digos sojourn, the Kings are scheduled to play Alaska on March 3 here in Antipolo then battle NLEX on March 23 in Angeles City, Pampanga. (JT)
