TOP seed NorthPort showed it won’t go down without a fight against Barangay Ginebra as it claimed a 108-103 win in Wednesday night’s Game 4 of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinals.
The Batang Pier went to import Kadeem Jack and Arvin Tolentino for the needed baskets down the stretch to clinch their first win in the best-of-seven series, which the Kings still leads, 3-1.
READ: Defiant NorthPort holds off Ginebra rally to avoid semis sweep
TNT also posted a 3-1 lead in its own semifinals pairing against Rain or Shine, hacking out a 93-85 win in the main game at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Calvin Oftana and Roger Pogoy teamed up to lead the charges for the Tropang Giga two games since heart and soul Jayson Castro went out with a patella tendon tear on his right knee.
Game 5 of both series is set Friday also at the Big Dome, with the Kings and Tropang Giga looking to score the finishing touches in their bid to arrange a finals rematch in the mid-season conference.
READ: TNT locks down on defense to push RoS on the brink of elimination
Here are some quick takeaways from the previous game day:
1. NORTHPORT HANGING BY A THREAD
The Batang Pier prevented a Barangay Ginebra sweep of the semis as Jack and Tolentino were finally on the same page again, combining for 59 points, 24 rebounds, and 16 assists.
Jack played without relief in scoring a conference high 39 points, while Tolentino was short of a rebound for a triple double (20-9-11).
But Northport needed to get the same contributions from both players – and possibly from the others as well – night in and night out if it is to pull off the improbable of overhauling a 0-3 deficit and win the semis series.
2.RAIN OR SHINE MISSES SANTI’S SCORING
Coach Yeng Guiao sounded off the alarm after only Deon Thompson was in sync offensively for the Elasto Painters in a failed bid to even the series. The 6-foot-9 import finished with for 44 points as he accounted for more than half of the team’s total output.
Top local scorer Adrian Nocum was held to just four points, but the one player that has yet to show up in Rain or Shine’s scheme of things is forward Leonard Santillan, who was held scoreless (0-for-2) in almost 18 minutes of play.
In the semis, the Cebuano big man is averaging just 5.0 points and 2.2 rebounds, numbers that don’t’ reflect the true value of the former University of the Visayas and De La Salle product.
3.RHJ CONTINUES TO DEFER TO LOCAL TEAMMATES
The prolific TNT import still posted decent numbers of 17 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists, but didn’t take charge as he usually does, opting to defer to the scoring duo of Oftana and Pogoy for the needed points, and at times from Rey Nambatac.
Hollis-Jefferson also preferred facilitating the plays for the Tropang Giga especially with veteran point guard Jayson Castro out for TNT for the remainder of the season. Will RHJ stay the same for the rest of the series?
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