Having secured a definite spot in the quarterfinals, Ginebra coach Tim Cone stated that their next objective is to secure a Top 4 position heading into the playoffs.
Securing a Top 4 position grants them a twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinal round, but Cone acknowledged that this outcome is indirectly beyond their control.
Cone pointed out that their final placing will be influenced by the performances of other teams also in contention.
The defending champion Kings are on equal footing with the San Miguel Beermen at 6-3, currently just a half-game behind the third-placed Meralco Bolts (6-2) and one game behind No. 2 Phoenix (7-2).
“Those things are out of our control,” said Cone after their 86-78 beating of TNT on Christmas Day.
“The only thing we can do is continue putting up those Ws. Then, when it’s all over, we let the cards fall where they may.”
Cone expressed hope that the teams ahead of Ginebra in the rankings would face defeats, allowing Ginebra to make a climb in the standings.
“We definitely need help, so we keep our eye on the other games,” he said. “But the bottom line is, we gotta control what we control.”
Next on Ginebra’s list are Northport and NLEX.
“There are two teams fighting for their own lives. Those will be tough games,” he said.
