THERE was a tinge of regret in the voice of TNT head coach Bong Ravena, whose team could have easily been leading, 3-0, by now instead of being down 1-2 against Barangay Ginebra in the 2020 PBA Philippine Cup Finals.
The Tropang Giga gained control of the first two games of the best-of-seven series only for Ginebra to steal the win in the end. But Ravena said there is no sense looking back over the two games that got away.
“Naisip din namin ‘yan. Our last two games, parang amin ‘yun,” said Ravena, when asked if there is a sense of regret in the TNT camp. “Pero wala eh, we just have to deal with that, 0-2, gawan talaga ng paraan how to win.”
The Tropang Giga overwhelmed Ginebra, 88-67, on Friday night and avoided falling into a 0-3 hole in the race-to-four-wins championship series, thanks to big games from RR Pogoy, Jayson Castro, and Troy Rosario in Ray Parks' absence.
TNT held a 22-point lead in the match, but, unlike in the first two games, was able to close a game for the first time in the series.
Ravena said it was TNT’s defense that enabled the Tropang Giga to hold off the Gin Kings. It showed in the statistics as the 67 points of Ginebra was the lowest output by any team in the finals since Talk ‘N Text lost to B-Meg, coached by Tim Cone then, in the 2012 Commissioner’s Cup, according to PBA statistics chief Fidel Mangonon.
Ginebra’s output on Friday night, added Mangonon, was also the lowest by the team since a 102-66 defeat to Talk ‘N Text in the 2005 Philippine Cup.
The Kings’ leading scorer Stanley Pringle was also limited to 11 points in Game Three.
“We led by 15 and nawala, natalo pa kami. Sabi nila (players), we have to protect our lead especially [against] Ginebra, alam namin ang capabilities nila. On defense, we have to be consistent. Hindi namin mapa-score si Stanley, malaking bagay sa amin.”
TNT is back in the series, but Ravena said there is no reason to be complacent.
“Wala namang nangyari. We just won a game. Sila dalawa pa rin,” said Ravena. "Nothing to celebrate."
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