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BARANGAY Geneva coach Tim Cone was delighted that Japeth Aguilar was able to prevail on the defensive end at the start of the PBA Philippine Cup semifinal round.
Aguilar didn’t have his usual numbers on offense after finishing with just nine points, but Cone was still satisfied with the way he played the 2019 Governors’ Cup final MVP in his first playoff game against Meralco since winning. that individual award last January.
Geneva won, 96-79, with Aguilar also grabbing eight rebounds and counting a block. Meralco only shot 39 percent from the field in the Game One loss, where Aguilar altered some of the Bolts’ attempts.
“I felt like Japeth was dominant on the defensive end,” Cone said. “He changed a lot of shots. A lot of guys missed shots when he was attacking them. I felt like he was really dominant on defense. “
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Cone, however, also felt Aguilar could have scored more if his teammates had found him outspoken in his offensive patterns.
“I also felt like we missed him early. Several times it was open early on scrolls and stamps and our guards didn’t see that. And then at the end of the second trimester, they started picking it up and seeing it, ”Cone said.
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Cone is also happy to have been able to rest Aguilar in the fourth quarter on Wednesday in preparation for Game Two to be played Friday afternoon at the University of Angeles Foundation Sports and Cultural Center.
“I’m glad I was able to rest him during the fourth quarter and not bring him back so he can be ready for the second game. He has the ability to dominate any team, Japeth, on both ends of the court. I’m really happy that he’s so fired up on the defensive. He’s jumping, blocking, and trying to get all the available shots. I think that’s really cool. I love seeing that, ”Cone said.
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