It takes a lot to impress Tim Cone—but Robert Upshaw did exactly that.
The Barangay Ginebra San Miguel coach couldn’t help but marvel at the towering Blackwater Bossing import, who delivered a dominant 43-point performance that nearly turned the game on its head. In the end, however, Ginebra weathered the storm, overcoming a sluggish start to escape with a 115-108 victory in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Upshaw was a force from start to finish, erupting for 27 points in the second half alone while shooting an efficient 13-of-20 from the field. The 7-footer also hauled down 14 rebounds and showcased his surprising range, knocking down three of six attempts from the four-point line.
Two of those long bombs came early, sparking a blistering 23-3 opening run by Blackwater that left Ginebra scrambling.
“The big guy came out and hit two four-pointers right at the start,” Cone said. “We knew he could shoot from that range—we saw that in his previous games.”
Despite the early shock, Ginebra gradually found its footing. The Kings clawed their way back, seized control by halftime, and held off a late Bossing rally to secure their fourth straight win. The victory lifted them to a 6-2 record, tied for second place with NLEX Road Warriors.
Still, the night belonged as much to Upshaw as it did to the winners.
Cone, also the head coach of Gilas Pilipinas, couldn’t hide his admiration for the 300-pound big man.
“Mr. Upshaw—he’s a man. A very large human being,” Cone said with a grin. “He knows how to use his body, he moves well… he’s awesome.”
Ginebra had studied Upshaw’s film coming into the game, but even that didn’t fully prepare them for his sheer size and skill.
“When we watched him against San Miguel, we were saying June Mar looked like a big boy next to him,” Cone added, referring to June Mar Fajardo. “And we look like little boys next to June Mar. Some of us looked like babies next to Upshaw.”
High praise, especially from a coach who has seen—and beaten—the best.