TNT coach Chot Reyes expects Barangay Ginebra to regain its shooting touch for Game Two of the PBA 49th Governors’ Cup Finals on Wednesday.
Reyes said the challenge for the Tropang Giga for the next game is to sustain or even surpass their defensive effort come Wednesday as they go for a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven championship series.
“We hope that we can sustain it,” said Reyes after TNT won the series opener against Ginebra, 104-88. “It’s just one game. We know that Ginebra is going to come back and make their adjustments. We have to be prepared for Game Two.”
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Game Two is on Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
TNT held the Gin Kings to 2-of-21 shooting from threes (9.5 percent), the worst in the PBA Finals since San Mig Coffee shot 1-of-13 (7.7 percent) from threes in a 95-80 win over Talk ‘N Text in Game One of the 2014 Commissioner’s Cup title series, according to PBA statistics chief Fidel Mangonon.
The 88 points was also the lowest offensive output by Ginebra in this Governors’ Cup postseason.
Justin Brownlee had 23 points but unusually struggled from the outside by shooting just 1-of-5 from fours and 0-of-2 from threes. Only Scottie Thompson and RJ Abarrientos made their three-point shots in the Game One loss.
The defense of TNT also led to seven steals and three blocks.
Reyes said Barangay Ginebra is such a good shooting team that it will only be a matter of time for the Kings to hit their shots again, unless TNT displayed a similar defensive effort in Game One.
“They are an outside shooting team. There are days when they will be going to be off. But that’s not going to be everyday,” said Reyes.
“We know that we have to be ready. That’s why I said we have to be prepared for the next game. We know na hindi palaging ganun,” he added.
TNT's 19-4 start to Game One set the tone for the romp - and defense took care of the rest.
“When we got off to a good start defensively, I think that set the tone for the game. There’s no secret to our game. It’s really our defense. I thought our defense really won it for us (in Game One),” said Reyes.
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