Ginebra's Tim Cone expects 'chippier' battle as PBA finals progresses

NO LOVE LOST. Barangay Ginebra and San Miguel may be sister teams but Tim Cone says there is no love lost between the two. Photo from PBA Images

MANILA, Philippines – Game 2 of the 2018 PBA Commissioner's Cup finals saw tempers flare with a myriad of trash talk and near-scuffles, and Barangay Ginebra expects the best-of-7 affair to get more intense.

San Miguel may have won the contest convincingly by 25 points, 134-109, to knot the series at 1-1 on Sunday, July 19, but not without drama and action ensuing.

Beermen's Arwind Santos was ejected with 5:18 minutes left in the 4th quarter after being slapped a disqualifying foul for elbowing Gin Kings' Scottie Thompson in the torso area.

Santos' teammate, Chris Ross, followed suit 15 seconds later for incurring his second technical foul when he engaged in a war of words with Joe Devance, who was also called for a technical foul.

In total, two players were tossed out and 3 technical fouls were called in a span of 15 seconds.

"It's funny," Cone said. "We're sister teams but we're not friendly."

"Honestly, we're not friendly with them at all, and you know, we see them as the mountain to be conquered, and they see us as the threat to their throne – the main threat to their throne. So there's no love lost between the two teams."

Ginebra aims to dethrone the Beermen and avenge its Philippine Cup finals loss in 2017 while San Miguel is gunning to make it 7-of-7 in the finals of the last 11 conferences.

"We go about it differently, but hopefully we achieve the same high level of results. Right now, their results are higher than ours," Cone added.

"But I think you'll continue to see it be chippy. I don't think it's going to be lay down for the other team. I expect it to get chippier."

Game 3 is on Wednesday, August 1, at the Araneta Coliseum. – Rappler.com