Much as he would've wanted to earn brownie points from their blowout victories in the last two games, coach Tim Cone is realistic each of those wins means just one game.
He says a one-point win is the same as a 30-point victory; it doesn't give pogi points.
And Cone insists it's still a series, except that they're on the lead and in control going to Game Four of their PBA Governors Cup best-of-five semifinal showdown with the NorthPort Batang Pier at the Smart Araneta Coliseum Friday.
Tip-off is at 7 p.m. in the game where the Kings take their first of two cracks at making their third Governors Cup finals in four years.
"It's nice to have the head start, get ahead in the series and dictate the series. That's always the goal, force the other team to make the adjustments," said Cone on their 2-1 series edge following their 113-88 rout in Game Two then a 132-105 demolition job in Game Three.
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Shaking off a sluggish performance in Game One, the Kings are now in great groove, reemerging as the heavy favorites versus playoffs No. 8 seed Batang Pier.
The Kings simply stamped their class on the Batang Pier in the last two games, and Cone felt it's about their depth against a crippled, weary NorthPort side.
"I thought we were in trouble early on because Michael Qualls was out of this world. He was hitting everything but I thought we wore them down with our depth," Cone said. "They came out of halftime looking a little sluggish. We were getting fastbreak points we don't normally get. Our depth came to the front because it's the third game in five days and we still seemed a little fresher than them."
True enough, Cone has lots of weapons to throw at the Batang Pier.
Meanwhile, underdogs from the beginning, the Batang Pier have become at a disadvantaged even more with Sol Mercado and Kevin Ferrer joining Robert Bolick in the sidelines.
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The question is whether NorthPort coach Pido Jarencio can still summon enough fire, energy and fight to match up with the galloping Gin Kings.
In Game Three, the Batang Pier were in the game only in the early minutes.
"I really didn't expect that (a second straight blowout win). I didn't expect us to play so well. We came out and played really well in just about every phase of the game," said Cone.
Justin Brownlee dished out his best game of the series, logging 41 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists, three steals and three blocks while Japeth Aguilar chipped in 18-10 and Jeff Chan provided another scoring threat for Ginebra with his 17-point effort.
From a 45-40 count, Gin Kings cranked it up and unleashed momentum-gaining 19-8 bomb to end the first 24 minutes at 64-48.
And there's no stopping the Gin Kings from thundering to the 2-1 series lead. (SB)