MANILA, Philippines – Following a week-long layoff, Barangay Ginebra and Bay Area resume play on Wednesday, breaking the 1-1 tie in what now appears to be a war of attrition. 

The Kings and the Dragons are anticipated to put up a stronger battle as they contend for the 2-1 victory in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup best-of-seven title series at the MOA Arena in Pasay City after recharging and resting. 

The game begins at 5:45 p.m. The Gin Kings were humiliated 99-82 by the Dragons in Game 2 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, and the Dragons vowed to capitalize on all the advantages they had.

The Kings, on the other hand, are accepting the responsibility of making adjustments and recognizing that after winning Game 1 of the series 96-81, they made a major mistake by being overconfident and smug. 

After Ginebra gave Bay Area a stiff upper lip in Game 1, then the Dragons completely flipped the script in Game 2, everything was equal. 

The two teams should have re-calibrated after the one-week break, and it is anticipated that they would fight tooth and nail for the decisive victory.

The issue is who can control the tempo or enforce their will on the opposing side. 

The Dragons were able to break away from Ginebra’s hold on them the most recent time out, earning them their first victory in the tournament’s opening three matches. 

Coach Brian Goorjian’s team controlled the Gin Kings’ shooters while grabbing boards, making baskets, and releasing Andrew Nicholson. 

Coach Tim Cone lamented the disruption caused by their lack of concentration.

“They did a great job of interrupting us, they got everything they wanted, and we didn’t do anything we wanted to do,” the Ginebra coach said. “I felt from the beginning that we didn’t have a whole lot of focus.”

Cone said Goorjian and his group were able to adjust as necessary. It was just  Jamie Malonzo (10 points)  and Justin Brownlee (32 points) reached double digit scoring. Scottie Thompson, Christian Standhardinger, and LA Tenorio were unable to.

According to Goorjian, it’s a big matter to break free of Ginebra’s grasp and stop the Kings from grabbing a 2-0 lead. 

Goorjian continued, “It’s clearly a motivation, but as the losses pile up, you start to wonder if we’re going to beat this squad. 

The mentor from Australia remarked, “These are all beneficial. a lot of discussion about youth, education, and other topics. We came this far through that procedure in order to win this thing.