Ginebra admits to not having any control yet despite tied semis

Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings’ Scottie Thompson during a game in the 2026 PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinals vs Rain or Shine Elasto Painters. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

Barangay Ginebra may have tied its PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinal series with Rain or Shine on Friday, but the crowd favorites know that they haven’t imposed their character on this series just yet.

Especially against a team which, in Scottie Thompson’s mind, looks like a mirror image of the Gin Kings.

“May dugo din silang ‘never say die,’ (they also have that never say die blood)” Thompson said after Ginebra’s 109-101 win at Mall of Asia Arena that square their best-of-seven duel as the Gin Kings bounced back from squandering a 10-point lead two nights ago in Antipolo.

Coach Tim Cone was convinced after that 115-111 defeat that Ginebra is playing Rain or Shine’s uptempo, free-flowing style. He didn’t change his tune even after getting on the board.

So will Cone and the Gin Kings buy time to make a 180-degree turn, or do it as quickly as possible?

“It really comes down to the energy war,” Cone said. “We don’t want to play a break-neck pace and wear our guys down because our guys play a lot of minutes than their guys do. We have to be conscious of that and that dictates what our gameplan’s all about.

“Right now, if you ask me, if I have to be honest with you which I don’t like to be,” he continued before taking some long pauses. “I think the pace and the way the game’s being played is at Rain or Shine’s favor at this point.

“And even if it’s at 1-1, we have to figure it out.”

Game 3 is set Sunday at the same venue, as Ginebra hopes to make key adjustments in a short amount of time to set up a possible shift to its benefit.

Cone will be glad to see his big guns deliver, like Justin Brownlee who erupted for 31 points on the night he played his 270th game, tying Sean Chambers—also a Cone import at defunct Alaska—for second on the all-time list among imports.

RJ Abarrientos also played big for the Gin Kings and finished with 25 points and six assists, although his status for Game 3 could depend on how well he can recover from a broken nose he suffered from an inadvertent hit from Jhonard Clarito in the fourth quarter.

Abarrientos assured that he’s going to be good to go, hoping to help the Gin Kings solve the Elasto Painters puzzle.

“We need to match Rain or Shine’s tempo. We can’t let them play their game,” Abarrientos said.

Meanwhile, TNT’s chances of going further in the playoffs took a big blow when import Bol Bol was carried to the locker room during Game 2 of the other semis series with Meralco being played at press time.

A TV report said that the Tropang 5G were fearing a potential Achilles injury on Bol, the much-talked figure during the course of the midseason tournament.