MANILA, Philippines – Barangay Ginebra coach Tim Cone on Thursday apologized to Meralco counterpart Norman Black, after an ill-tempered end to Game 3 of their title series in the PBA Governors' Cup.

Cone was visibly irked that the Bolts still called for a timeout even as they were up by 13 points with just 38.1 seconds left. He refused to shake hands with Black at the end of the game, and the two were seen exchanging words as they headed to the tunnel in the wake of Meralco's 94-81 victory on Wednesday night at the Araneta Coliseum.

The next morning, Cone issued an apology, saying that he "regrets" his actions.

• READ: Black couldn't care less about Cone's problem with his late timeout

"Yes, I was upset about the timeout that was called late in the game, but there is no one in the PBA that I respect more than Norman Black," Cone said in a report by Philippine Daily Inquirer.

"I got caught up in the moment and could have handled it differently," he acknowledged. "I apologize, and will do so to him personally."

Black, for his part, was not too concerned about Cone's reaction to the late timeout.

"He's mad over the last timeout. That's his problem, not mine," the Meralco coach said in a post-game press conference.

Meralco's win on Wednesday night cut their deficit in the best-of-seven series to one game, although Ginebra still leads, 2-1.

Game 4 is on Friday at the Araneta Coliseum.

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