😡 The Last Word: Tim Cone's Garbage Time Anger Sets the Stage for Ginebra-Converge Rivalry
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The play in question occurred in the final seconds of a decided game. Cone felt that the FiberXers had "relaxed like they’re not going to do it and then they did lay-up," violating the unwritten rule of sportsmanship against scoring in garbage time.
"I wasn’t happy about that last play when they took that last lay-up after relaxing. They relaxed like they’re not going to do it and then they did lay-up," Cone told media after the game.
🛑 Cone's Logic: A Question of Sportsmanship
Converge coach Delta Pineda later explained the rationale, citing the quirky reality of the PBA's playoff system where the quotient (point differential) could eventually determine seeding among closely bunched teams. Rookie Juan Gomez de Liaño, who scored the basket, was likely following the coach's explicit instruction to maximize their scoring margin.
While Cone's defense of basketball etiquette is rooted in decades of tradition, his logic of anger is ultimately not acceptable in a professional league environment driven by mathematical necessity.
It is Up to the Players: The responsibility of stopping the opponent, even in the final seconds, ultimately falls to Ginebra's players. If they relaxed and expected Converge to stop playing, that is a failure of discipline and focus on Ginebra’s part, not a moral failure by the FiberXers.
The Quotient is Real: Pineda's rationale is sound. In the highly competitive Philippine Cup, where Ginebra, Meralco, TNT, and others are tightly packed in the standings, every single point matters for tiebreakers and favorable playoff seeding. Converge, a team fighting to establish itself, has a professional duty to maximize its advantage. Expecting an opponent to forego an opportunity to improve their playoff standing is unreasonable.
🍿 Anticipation Rises: A New Rivalry is Born
Despite the sour note at the end, Cone was quick to praise the FiberXers, acknowledging that "They’re a good team, they’re going to be a team to reckon with this conference." He was particularly blown away by Juan Gomez de Liaño, who torched the Kings for $32$ points, earning the highest praise: "De Liaño looked like the best player in the league tonight."
The combination of the heated exchange, the emerging superstar performance by De Liaño, and Converge's status as a genuine threat has laid the foundation for a compelling new rivalry.
Fans will now be eagerly anticipating the next Converge-Ginebra game. Coach Cone's public display of frustration serves as powerful motivation for Ginebra to be better prepared next time, and for Converge to lean into their new status as a giant killer. The final seconds of Friday's game were not just about two points; they were about a statement, and the PBA is now richer for the tension created.
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