Mahindra head coach Chris Gavina. Photo courtesy of PBA Media Bureau

MANILA, Philippines – Triumphant coaches Chris Gavina of Mahindra and Tim Cone of Barangay Ginebra sang praises for the Philippine Arena after their victories on Christmas Day.

Gavina, who coached the Floodbuster to a 97-93 win over the Blackwater Elite, was especially delighted as their maiden victory of the 2016-17 PBA Philippine Cup came at the same venue where they registered their first win as a franchise back in the 2014 All-Filipino Conference.

"I wish we could play here every week," said Gavina after the game. "If the PBA can schedule more games here… we're lucky over here. I'll play here any day as long as we win."

Mahindra, then known as KIA, defeated Blackwater as well during the opening day of the league's 2014 season, which was watched by over 50,000 people.

This time, over 20,000 fans packed the lower bowls of the Philippine Arena as the Gin Kings outlasted the Star Hotshots in the "Manila Clasico," 86-79, for their third victory of the conference.

Cone could not hide his amazement at the facility, which was opened in 2014.

"First, let me say this is an awesome facility," said Cone. "I'm so impressed with this facility. It's so massive. I've never seen anything like it. I've been to a lot of stadiums in the United States, and I've never seen anything like this before."

"Even just pulling up and seeing the size of it, I mean… I've seen Staples (Center in Los Angeles), I've seen the one in Denver, I've seen a lot of coliseums, I've seen nothing like this," he stressed. "Amazing, amazing."

That they did not manage to fill the entire coliseum did not dampen Cone's satisfaction with the venue.

"It is hard to get 50,000 people to come to a game on Christmas Day," he noted. "Everybody's got other things to do. But it was fun to have them here."

Like Gavina, Cone had no hesitation in saying that he would play in the Philippine Arena again if given the chance.

"It's really a first-class facility," he said. "I can play here every day."

He did, however, express some concern about traffic.

"I live in the south, so it is kind of hard to get here," Cone admitted. "It was easy on Christmas Day, but normally, it's going to be two hours, two and half hours to get here."

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