THE TNT Tropang Giga draws first blood over Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, winning 95-89 in Game 1 of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals on Friday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena, despite being short-handed.
There’s no better way to start a tough best-of-seven finals series than by lighting up the court right away. That’s what TNT did last night, fending off Ginebra, who are widely favored in this game.
This is due to the fact that the Tropang Giga is missing their key floor general, Jayson Castro, who suffered a ruptured right patellar tendon in the semifinals, but the Chot Reyes-coached squad performed admirably.
TNT’s streaky shooting from beyond the arc helped them build a big lead and a momentum that helped them early in the contest. This lead proved insurmountable for the stacked Ginebra team.
Lights Out Shooting
TNT made eight of their 14 three-pointers in the first quarter, taking a dominating 29-18 lead that set the tone for the rest of the game. This also allowed them to go into halftime up 55-39.
Ginebra, on the other hand, came out fired up in the third quarter, going on an 8-0 run that cut the score to 47-57 with 9:41 remaining, thanks to a left wing three-pointer from Stephen Holt.
By the third quarter, the Gin Kings had reduced the lead to a single digit. Regardless of the prior team’s run, the Tropang Giga just cannot miss from three, and extended their lead ounce again.
This is the same situation in the fourth quarter, but with a few seconds remaining, RJ Abarrientos hits the game’s first four-pointer, cutting the advantage to 89-93. However, this appears to be the end of it.
Without a doubt, two-time PBA Best Import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson led the TNT squad once more, scoring 34 points, 23 of which came in the first half, while also grabbing 13 rebounds and eight assists.
Meanwhile, in a losing effort, his archrival Justin Brownlee recorded his own double-double with 28 points, 15 rebounds, and six assists.
Just Stay Composed
Despite the late-game scare from Ginebra, TNT head coach Reyes predicted that their opponent will not go down without fighting. This is why the Tropang Giga remained composed in the fourth quarter.
“Well, we talked about it at halftime, we said ‘for sure, Ginebra is going to make a run. We just reminded the players to stay calm, to expect it,” said Reyes, discussing how they managed to hold off Ginebra.
“They [Gin Kings] made a big run, but we came back because the players kept their composure and I think that’s the most important thing,” the decorated tactician went on to explain.
With this series a race to four, TNT Tropang Giga will seek to take Game 2 for a 2-0 lead, while Barangay Ginebra San Miguel will try to tie and prolong the series on Sunday at the same Pasay site.
