Work continues for Ginebra squad as Cone, key players take on Gilas duties

It was not the way they would have wanted to end the season as Barangay Ginebra San Miguel fell short in their title defense bid in the PBA Governors' Cup after being defeated by TNT Tropang Giga, 97-93, in Game 6 of the Finals series on Friday.

And while it will take until October for Ginebra to get another chance for a crown as the PBA gives way to the national team's busy schedule, Ginebra head coach Tim Cone said that for a few of them, the work continues as they shift their focus on their Gilas Pilipinas duties.

"In the meantime, it's back to work for me and for Scottie [Thompson], Jamie [Malonzo], Christian [Standhardinger], Justin [Brownlee], Japeth [Aguilar], and back to work with us for Gilas," said Cone, who is also part of the national team coaching staff.

"No rest for the weary, just keep on moving forward."

'Not meant to be'

Despite the loss, Cone credited TNT's coaching staff which he described as 'tough.'

Bad luck, according to the multi-titled mentor, also riddled the erstwhile defending champs.

"We had our chances, we had some bad luck. Justin had food poisoning. That shot of Mikey Williams off the backcourt was a back breaker," Cone said.

"They played really well, they played all the way through. They deserve it," he added.

For Cone, things didn't just go in the way of Ginebra.

"It wasn't meant to be. We still have a lot of growth in this team," said Cone.

"We're really pleased with this team and looking forward to the next one. We're gonna keep the team as intact as possible."

—JMB, GMA Integrated News