Ginebra looked forward to a 2-0 lead against Meralco
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In-Game One it was seen what kind of battle to expect between rival Barangay Ginebra and Meralco.
The Gin Kings escaped with a 91-87 win over the Bolts in the series opener at the PBA Governor's Cup Finals on Tuesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
"It's really a possession by possession game at this point and it's not the way we necessarily want to play but they're just so good at it that we're forced to play at that tempo," Ginebra coach Tim Cone told them Meralco's best-of-seven championship series.
The Gin Kings will take on the big 2-0 advantage against the Bolts in Game Two at 7 pm at the Quezon Convention Center in Lucena City.
Meralco mentor Norman Black hopes that Ginebra will lose the 'homecourt advantage' by moving their series out of the Big Dome.
“When we go to the province, that's a little bit more difficult. It's hard to bring your fans from Metro Manila. So, we'll see, ”said Black, a one-time PBA Grand Slam champion coach.
6-foot-8 flying forward Japeth Aguilar intercepted Bolts 'import Allen Durham's layup in the final 11.3 seconds of the fourth quarter following Justin Brownlee's two free throws to seal the Gin Kings' win.
Cone, the two-time PBA Grand Slam titlist, hopes to clear the Bolts for the series.
“I think it's gonna be a ping-pong affair; this is gonna go back and forth, ”said 62-year-old Cone.
Ginebra will once again face Brownlee, Aguilar, LA Tenorio, Stanley Pringle and Scottie Thompson alongside Durham, Chris Newsome, Baser Amer, Raymond Almazan, Allein Maliksi and rookie Bong Quinto of Meralco.
Meanwhile, San Miguel brought forward Kelly Nabong to NorthPort in exchange for big man Russell Escoto.
The said trade was approved by the Office of the Commissioner.
The Beermen replaced Nabong with an indefinite suspension after Arwind Santos and Ronald Tubid took part in their practice last year. Import Dez Wells is involved in the dispute.
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