Tim Cone praises Barangay Ginebra’s fight despite Game 5 loss to San Miguel

Defending Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup champions, San Miguel Beermen, inched closer to defending their title with a hard-fought 115–109 win over Barangay Ginebra San Miguel in Game 5 of the semifinals at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Wednesday, January 14.

Record PBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) June Mar Fajardo spearheaded the Beermen with 21 points, 11 rebounds, and two assists, while Jaymar Perez (20 points), Mo Tautuaa (18 points), and Marcio Lassiter (16 points) provided crucial support down the stretch.

Despite the loss, Barangay Ginebra head coach Tim Cone praised his squad for their resilience, noting their late-game surge that cut San Miguel’s 17-point lead to just four in the closing seconds.

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“We were looking for a miracle in the end and we didn’t get one. Got to appreciate the guys for the fight when they fought back in the game. We made crucial turnovers all throughout the whole game that we could have made runs. It just wasn’t our night. We were fumbling the ball. Ball wasn’t going in for us. Our guys continued to fight and battle. Just came up and short,” Cone said in the postgame press conference.

Head coach Tim Cone gave credit to Barangay Ginebra San Miguel for their gritty fourth-quarter response against the San Miguel Beermen, adding that the team will now shift their focus in Game 6 of the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup semis. | via Aivan Episcope/One Sports#PBA50 pic.twitter.com/Kstx170cbh

— One Sports (@OneSportsPHL) January 14, 2026

With the series now standing at 3–2 in favor of San Miguel, the two PBA powerhouses are set for a decisive Game 6. Interestingly, the last Game 6 showdown between these rivals was in last season’s Philippine Cup, where Ginebra prevailed thanks to a clutch three-pointer from veteran point guard LA Tenorio.

Cone is hoping history might repeat itself in favor of the Gin Kings.

“Now, we are basically in the same situation we were last conference except that it is flipped. We were up, 3–2. Now they are up, 3–2. They were able to beat us two in a row. We see if we can flip the script and see if we can beat them two in a row. We can’t get to Game 7, winner-take-all, unless we take care of Game 6. That’s where our focus is going to be,” Cone added.

The much-anticipated Game 6 between San Miguel and Barangay Ginebra is scheduled for Friday, January 16, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, with both teams fighting to avoid a winner-take-all Game 7.

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