BARANGAY Ginebra coach Tim Cone has no doubt in his mind that NorthPort is for real.

The Gin Kings ended their supremacy over the Batang Pier on Wednesday when they lost, 119-116, in their PBA 49th Season Commissioner’s Cup encounter at the Philsports Arena.

NorthPort’s win snapped a 14-game losing streak on Barangay Ginebra, with its last win dating back to December 14, 2019 when the Batang Pier defeated the Gin Kings, 124-90, in Game One of the PBA Governors’ Cup semifinals.

The huge win enabled NorthPort to stay at No. 1 with a 7-1 slate.

Cone said Barangay Ginebra struggled to keep up with NorthPort’s offense with Kadeem Jack, Arvin Tolentino, and Joshua Munzon playing with guns ablaze.

“NorthPort is for real,” Cone said. “They played really well.”

“They gave our defense fits all game. And just that, they are for real. We had problems stopping them. Munzon and Arvin [they] are both playing at an MVP level, and their import is a great fit,” said Cone.

Jack was impressive around the basket, scoring 32 points while shooting 15-for-22 from two-point range. He also grabbed 16 rebounds.

Tolentino was firing from the outside, making 6-for-9 from three-point distance to end up with 28 points, while Munzon provided the offense and defense, contributing 27 points and converting 3-for-4 from threes, dishing out six assists, tallying two steals, and one block, a chasedown rejection against Troy Rosario in the fourth quarter.

Barangay Ginebra made a late rally after being down, 94-76, during the third quarter, and even led, 101-100, after beginning the fourth quarter with a 14-2 run, but NorthPort showed composure and responded with big shots of their own.

“Nothing we could have done to stop them tonight. When we started flat, but they [NorthPort] came out ready, tried to make a run at the end,” he said.

“But as I told the team, [we] never should have gotten to that. We should have played better from the start.”