TNT repeated as PBA Governors Cup champion, finishing off Barangay Ginebra in six games of their title series and celebrated the 10th title in franchise history Friday night before a huge crowd at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson lived up to his billing as the conference’s Best Import by almost completing a triple double of 21 points, 16 rebounds, and eight assists in the 95-85 come-from-behind win in Game 6.
The former NBA player had 10 of his total output in the pivotal fourth where he teamed up with Roger Pogoy, Rey Nambatac, Kelly Williams, and Final MVP Jayson Castro in a strong finishing kick that enabled the Tropang Giga to wipe out an eight-point Ginebra lead going to the final 12 minutes.
The Tropang Giga won the best-of-seven series, 4-2, and denied the Kings of regaining the title they lost to the same team last year.
Here are some of the takeaways in the series-clinching win watched by a huge 14,688 crowd at the Big Dome.
1.RHJ SCORES ONE ANEW AGAINST JUSTIN BROWNLEE
In the continuing saga of the two talented imports’ rivalry, Hollis-Jefferson again got the better end of Justine Brownlee, denying the Gilas Pilipinas naturalized player of the championship and the Best Import award for the second straight time in this same import-flavored conference.
Average-wise, the TNT import also had the better numbers with 25.8 points, 12.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.6 steals compared to Brownlee 19.6 points, 8.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.5 blocks.
The championship also soothed up Hollis-Jefferson’s loss to Brownlee and Gilas Pilipinas during the gold medal play of the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games. The former NBA player served as naturalized player of Jordan.
2.CHOT NOW LEADS CONE IN THEIR HEAD-TO-HEAD COACHING DUEL
By beating good friend and former mentor Tim Cone in the title series, Reyes takes the upper hand in his personal coaching battle with the most accomplished coach in PBA history at 4-3. Shades of a Game 7, the two coaches are actually tied at 3-3 going to the finals.
The 66-year-old Cone levelled the count at 3-3 when he steered the Purefoods franchise (then carrying the B-Meg brand) to the 2012 Commissioner’s Cup championship that will be best remembered for import Denzel Bowles’ two pressure-packed free throws with 1.2 seconds left in regulation that sent the deciding Game 7 into overtime.
READ: A lot has happened since Cone, Chot last met in PBA Finals in 2012
3.RJ ABARRIENTOS SHOW STAR QUALITY
The Ginebra rookie finally had his breakthrough game in the finals after struggling early on in the title series. The no. 3 overall pick in the last draft single-handedly rallied Ginebra in the second quarter when he exploded for 18 points and put the team on top, 43-42, at the break.
The Far Eastern University product eventually finished with a game-high 31 points on an efficient 11-of-17 shooting from the field, including 3-of-5 from beyond the arc and accounted for the lone 4-point shot of the game.
Many believed had Abarrientos exemplified the same game for the entire best-of-seven series, the Kings could have had a better shot at toppling the defending champions.
4.TNT’S ‘SENIOR CITIZENS’ PROVIDE QUALITY MINUTES
Jayson Castro and Kelly Williams had a combined 34 years of playing in the PBA and that showed in this finals as the two veterans supplied leadership and stability when needed most on both ends of the floor.
Although admittedly just a shadow of their old deadly form, the 38-year-old Castro – named Finals MVP - and 42-year-old Williams still contributed to this latest title conquest of the franchise where they had been part of majority of the team’s 10 championships overall.
Years from now, Castro’s no. 17 jersey and Williams’ own no. 21 are among those the franchise will definitely retire.
5.NAMBATAC, AURIN, GALINATO, EBONA, GANUELAS-ROSSER, PAYAWAL ARE FIRST TIME CHAMPIONS
It took three teams and two major trades in a seven-season span for Nambatac to finally win his first championship in Asia’s pioneering pro league. The former Letran standout left Rain or Shine last season to play briefly for Blackwater, but with the ultimate target of joining the Tropang Giga and get his best shot of winning a first ever PBA crown.
Aurin and Henry Galinato are in their second seasons as draft hauls of the franchise in Season 48, Ebona was signed last conference from the free agent market, while Payawal is a champion right in his rookie conference after finding a home at TNT when he failed to sign with Phoenix, which picked him in the third round of the last draft.
Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser meanwhile, is playing in his third season after spending time with Blackwater and NLEX. The former Gilas Pilipinas big man though, failed to play this conference as he’s recovering from an ACL and meniscus surgery, but is officially part of the TNT roster.
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