PBA: Governors’ Cup Finals to pit coaching Grandmasters

By Waylon Galvez

The last time coaches Tim Cone and Norman Black met in the Finals, they needed a Game 7 to resolve the impasse, with Cone’s Barangay Ginebra San Miguel edging Black’s Meralco for the 2017 PBA Governors’ Cup title.

Now that they are at it once more, not a few expect another masterful duel that could stretch to another winner-take-all seventh game.

“It’s always been a chess match between coach Tim and coach Norman,” said Ginebra guard LA Tenorio. “It was evident in the last two finals.”

Tenorio was referring to the Game 7 encounter they won during the 2017 Governors’ Cup Finals.

Game 1 of the third Ginebra-Meralco championship in four years is set Tuesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Raymond Almazan, acquired in a trade with Rain or Shine last conference, mentioned the ability of the two coaches to look for mistakes done by the opposing squad and use it to their team’s advantage.

“They’re more on details, every single mistake mapupuna nila,” said the 6-foot-9 Almazan, one of the three key new additions of the Bolts this season. “Kaya maganda ‘tong series na ito.”

This will be the fifth time that Cone, owner of the PBA record for most championships with 21, and Black – looking for his 12th championship and first in seven years – will be facing off in a Finals.

The first time they met was during the 1995 Governors’ Cup when Cone was still with Alaska, which beat Black’s San Miguel Beer 4-3 in the best-of-seven finals.

The second was during the 2014 Commissioner’s Cup Finals with Cone again winning, this time with San Mig Super Coffee 3-1 in a shortened five-game duel over Black’s TNT KaTropa.

Despite the advantage in their head-to-head, Cone said he has the highest regard for Black.

“I have great respect for him obviously. I joined the league during his Grand Slam season, so that was my introduction to Norman Black,” said Cone, referring to the 1989 Grand Slam team of San Miguel Beer.

“He’s always been the guy I’ve measured myself against. He’s a great adjustment coach, it’s hard to coach against him,” added Cone, who has captured two Grand Slams with Alaska in 1996 and San Mig Super Coffee in 2014.

Black expects the same against Cone. “I haven’t been able to beat Tim,” he said.

“It probably will be a game of adjustments as the series goes on. The fact is Tim is very good at changing things. Sometimes he goes big, sometimes he goes small, he may use a zone, he may use pressure against you. You just have to be prepared for just about anything.”

Source: Manila Bulletin