BARANGAY Ginebra bounced back in a big way against San Miguel and Rain or Shine finally scored one over TNT in separate Game 3s of the PBA Governors Cup semifinals.
Justine Brownlee and Stephen Holt came to the rescue of the Kings for a 99-94 win, while Aaron Fuller rescued the Elasto Painters from a total collapse by producing the game-winning play against the Tropang Giga, 110-109.
The victory by Rain or Shine assured that there won’t be a series sweep in the best-of-seven duel as it cut the series deficit against TNT to 2-1, the same standings as the Ginebra-San Miguel affair.
The doubleheader was played before a fullhouse crowd at the Dasmarinas City Arena in Cavite on Sunday.
Here are the key takeaways from those games
1.RAIN OR SHINE FINALLY BREAK STRING OF SEMIS LOSSES – aside from pulling one over the Tropang Giga, the Elasto Painters at long last, nailed a first win in the semifinals after five years. The franchise hasn’t won a game in the Final Four since Game 3 of the 2019 Commissioner’s Cup against San Miguel (112-104), as per records kept by league chief statistician Fidel Mangonon III. The team has since lost their next seven games in the semis, including a 4-0 sweep at the hands of the Beermen in last season’s Philippine Cup. Just how long the losing streak was? Caloy Garcia was still head coach of the team during that 2019 campaign, and veterans Gabe Norwood, Beau Belga, and Mark Borboran are the only remnants of that unit still with the franchise until now.
2. FULLER NEEDS TO ASSERT HIMSELF MORE FOR E-PAINTERS TO HAVE A SHOT – Fuller may not be as talented and skilled as TNT counterpart Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, but where he goes will have a huge impact on Rain or Shine’s bid to make the finals for the first time in eight years. The 34-year-old PBA veteran finished with 26 points and 15 rebounds in the win which he made possible by completing a huge three-point play in the final 3.8 seconds. The Rain or Shine reinforcement was held to just 13 points and six rebounds in the team’s 17-point blowout loss in Game 2. Remember how Fuller also rose to the occasion by dropping 26 and nine in the Elasto Painters’ dramatic 113-103 triumph over Magnolia Hotshots in their sudden-death Game Five for the right to meet the Tropang Giga in the semis. His Game 4 performance will certainly be a barometer whether Rain or Shine could tie the series at 2-2 or fell to a 1-3 hole.
3. WAS IT GINEBRA'S DEFENSE OR SIMPLY FATIGUE CATCHING UP WITH JUNE MAR – the prized San Miguel big man still had a double-double of 12 points and 14 rebounds in Game 3, although the numbers were his worse so far in the series. He had 23 and 21 in an overtime thriller against the Kings the previous game, and just a week before that a memorable 40-24 performance in a do-or-die Game 5 against Converge. But with Japeth Aguilar and Justine Brownlee alternating against him defensively in the middle, the 6-foot-10 Cebuano slowed down and was held to just a single point in the pivotal fourth. Give credit to the Kings’ defense, but at this point in time, fatigue factor appears to be catching up with the eighth-time MVP.
4. TNT LOSS SPOILED BIG NUMBERS FOR RHJ, POY ERRAM – the Tropang Giga’s first loss in the semis was the downside to another great showing by Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Erram playing his best game since coming back from knee surgery. The former NBA player ended up with his first career triple double this season with 23 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists, while Erram delivered a playoffs-high 27 points as the two teamed up for 22 points in the fourth quarter in leading back the Tropang Giga from a 15-point third period deficit. Too bad, those numbers were not enough to save the day for TNT.
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