THREE straight victories in the PBA 49th Governors’ Cup Finals is what Barangay Ginebra will be going for on Wednesday in crucial Game Five at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
The Gin Kings go back to the floor against TNT Tropang Giga and will look to continue their winning ways after tying the best-of-seven title series at 2-2.
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The Tropang Giga will seek to end the Gin Kings’ streak, and regain control of the finals series that they once led by two games.
To get you prepared, here are some key points for Game Five
TNT vs. Barangay Ginebra
When: Wednesday, November 6. 7:30 p.m.
Where: Smart-Araneta Coliseum
Who will benefit from the two-day rest?
Both teams return to action after getting to rest for two days, and can work both ways. Justin Brownlee, Scottie Thompson, Stephen Holt, and Japeth Aguilar have been playing heavy minutes over the past three games for Ginebra, and the respite was a good opportunity to recover before going back to battle. But the respite could also be a momentum-breaker, and TNT can take advantage with Rondae Hollis-Jefferson expected to be fresher after playing 48 minutes for Games Two and Three, and 46 minutes and 57 seconds in Game Four last week.
RHJ now has to deal with Holt, Brownlee
Over the past three games, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson has been stamping his class both offensively and defensively, while playing with little or no rest. But in Game Four, the Best Import of the Conference had to earn every opportunity on offense after being guarded by Stephen Holt for a huge majority of the contest. RHJ still had his way after finishing with 28 points and shooting 11-for-21 from the field, but noticeably committed a personal finals-high five turnovers, no thanks to the pressure shown by Holt. Now, the TNT import will also have to deal with Justin Brownlee on defense with his Ginebra counterpart now back to his usual form last Game Four.
Justin Brownlee must sustain his scoring
The Justin Brownlee of old was in full display last Sunday when he finished with 34 points on 11-for-16 shooting from the field in their 106-92 win over TNT. Brownlee started out hot, making 15 points in the first quarter, and ended the match by shooting 2-for-4 from fours, and 3-for-4 from threes. It goes without saying that a similar performance by Brownlee would definitely strengthen the chance of Ginebra to gain the upper hand in the series.
TNT must go back to its defensive mentality
The Tropang Giga seemed to be a step slow in Game Four, with the Gin Kings being the team that showed the most effort. It showed in some of the statistical categories with TNT being outscored by Barangay Ginebra, 15-4, in second-chance points, and being outrebounded, 32-27, last Wednesday. The defense that TNT has become known for in the conference was missing in Game Four, when it allowed Ginebra to make three fours and nine threes, all finals highs for the Gin Kings.
Can TNT dominate against Ginebra’s lean frontcourt?
The Tropang Giga have not fully taken advantage of the Gin Kings’ limitations in the paint. After a 15-point effort in the finals opener, Poy Erram has been inconsistent and could only come up with three points and one rebound, while committing three fouls in Game Four. On the other side, Japeth Aguilar, who had to play 31 minutes and 56 seconds and without a back-up after Joe Devance sustained an injury, delivered 18 points and six rebounds last Sunday.
Players to watch
Calvin Oftana had 26 points in Game Four, but curiously had six in the second half despite his hot start. Oftana aired his frustrations after the match for not getting more touches in the second half. During the fourth quarter, Oftana also had some miscues, missing an easy lay-up and committing a turnover. Oftana will be out to bounce back after his scoring output which was his highest in this finals went down the drain.
Stephen Holt will once again be on the spotlight as he is expected to be tasked to defend Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. He finally had a breakout game on offense when he collected 18 points in Game Four, and a similar effort will be huge for the Gin Kings.
Another banner crowd for Game 5?
Game Four saw a huge weekend crowd of 16,783 witnessing the Gin Kings tying the finals series. It was the largest attendance in the PBA since Game Seven of the 2022-23 Commissioner’s Cup finals between Barangay Ginebra and Bay Area Dragons. With Game Five a must-win for TNT and Ginebra, will we see a similar crowd attendance on a weekday?
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