Barangay Ginebra is certain that it can defeat TNT, even if it is going to the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals with all of its might.

Tim Cone said that the Gin Kings’ attempt to reclaim the title they last had in 2023 was greatly aided by the return of Jamie Malonzo and Jeremiah Gray as well as the presence of big man Troy Rosario.

Even without injured skipper Jayson Castro, who was instrumental in TNT’s victory against the league’s most popular ballclub for the Governors’ Cup title last November, the Ginebra coach still views the Tropang Giga as a formidable foe.

“You saw what TNT did. They’re extremely … people don’t realize how good a coach Chot Reyes is. He’s an outstanding coach,” Cone, his former senior deputy, stated. “They lost a key player (Jayson) and they just kept moving forward.”

With a 4-1 series victory in the semifinals, the Tropang Giga defeated the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters 97-92 in Game 5 on Wednesday, advancing to the finals.

On Friday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, the Kings crushed first seed Northport, 126-99, and won their own semifinal series by the same score.

Cone doesn’t think the same thing will happen in the finals, even though Ginebra and TNT both easily won their respective series.

“They’re (Tropang Giga) playing with such togetherness and such effort, especially on the defensive side. They’re not skipping a beat,” said Cone.

Before Game 1 of the finals is played at the Mall of Asia Arena on March 14, the competition takes a week off.

Despite Rain or Shine’s third consecutive conference semifinal failure, Yeng Guiao isn’t very disappointed.

The Elasto Painters coach stated that the team’s PBA Commissioner’s Cup campaign was still successful. The team’s title pursuit ended on Friday night as they lost Game 5 against TNT Tropang Giga, 97-92, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Rain or Shine suffered their second semifinal loss against TNT, falling 4-1 in the best-of-seven series.

Nevertheless, Guiao expressed his satisfaction with the Elasto Painters’ competitive style.

“I’m proud of what we have accomplished. We’re happy with the performance of our import (Deon Thompson). Overall, were also satisfied with our performance as a team,” the seasoned coach emphasized.

Guiao claimed that the way TNT won the series didn’t accurately represent how closely the semifinal match was fought overall.

He said that all five games, including the series-deciding match in which the Elasto Painters squandered a 13-point lead, might have gone either way.

In anticipation of the Philippine Cup, which concludes the season, Rain or Shine will take a short break before starting up again.

For the first time in nine years, Guiao promised that the Elasto Painters would continue to aim for the finals.