TNT got the better end of Barangay Ginebra anew as it gutted out an 87-83 overtime win to claim the PBA Commissioner’s Cup championship in an epic Game 7 of the finals before a full house crowd at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Finals MVP Rey Nambatac, Glenn Khobuntin, Calvin Oftana, and Roger Pogoy held the fort for the Tropang Giga as import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson endured the effects of hamstring and groin injuries at the most crucial part of a game that could have gone either way.
READ: TNT outlasts Ginebra in Game 7 classic to win back-to-back titles
With Hollis-Jefferson hobbling from late in the fourth quarter onwards, the TNT locals put it upon themselves to carry the torch for the team and it came in the form of a short but telling 6-0 run to start the extra period, a cushion good enough to carry the tide for the Tropang Giga until the end.
TNT won the series, 4-3, and clinched its second championship for the season, putting the franchise on the cusp of scoring a rare grand slam.
It also marked the second straight time the Tropang Giga beat the Kings in a title series after a six-game romp during the Governors’ Cup finals last November.
As the curtains fell in one of the most enthralling title series in PBA history, here are some of the takeaways in this Game 7 to remember at the Big Dome.
1.RONDAE HOLLIS-JEFFERSON STILL HAS JUSTIN BROWNLEE’S NUMBER
The prolific TNT import kept his record perfect opposite his Barangay Ginebra rival after winning a third straight championship at the expense of the Kings.
And like Brownlee, RHJ also played through the pain of a hamstring injury and later a groin injury, which he suffered when he rammed hard through the LED board early in Game 6 of the finals.
The former NBA player is also 3-of-3 in the finals and owner of three Best Import awards. In all, he averaged 47 minutes of play in the entire best-of-seven series and averaged 23.7 points, 12.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 1.2 steals.
2. BROWNLEE FAILS TO GET FREEBIES
The final stats bared it all - Brownlee didn’t make it to the foul line not a single instance. The Ginebra import was 4-of-9 from three-point range and 8-of-18 from the two-point zone, but was 0-for-0 from the free throw line.
In contrast, Hollis-Jefferson was a perfect 9-of-9 from the same area. Another glaring number under Brownlee’s stats sheet was the seven turnovers he committed – the highest in the game – out of the 24 made by the Kings.
Still he added 10 rebounds and three assists as JB played his fourth straight game nursing a dislocated right thumb that was heavily taped.
3.FINALS SERVES AS REY NAMBATAC’S COMING OUT PARTY
TNT getting the services of the NCAA champion guard out of Letran was worth the wait. Nambatac obviously had to take a short detour at Blackwater before landing a spot at TNT before the start of Season 49.
He was initially projected as a Jayson Castro understudy, but the knee injury suffered by the veteran guard that has kept him out for the rest of the season fast tracked Nambatac’s assumption of TNT’s leadership role.
He proved to be up to the task with the way he carried playmaking and scoring chores for the team during the entire best-of-seven series. And being named as the Finals MVP was a complete validation of it.
4.JAYSON CASTRO PROVED TO BE TNT’S LUCKY CHARM
Twice he personally showed up in the finals, twice did TNT win. The ‘Blur’ obviously inspired the Tropang Giga with his presence both in practice and in actual games.
He came over just when the team was down 2-3 and on the verge of losing against what coach Chot Reyes termed as a full-strength Ginebra team.
Despite still hobbling following a knee surgery just a few weeks ago, Castro watched the game live and served as the no. 1 cheerleader of the team.
5.KINGS MISSED MALONZO AND ROSARIO'S PRODUCTION
There was an obvious slack as far as the locals contributions is concerned for Barangay Ginebra. The plays of both Malonzo and Rosario were missed out by the Kings as the duo finished with a combined four points, six rebounds, and two assists on 1-of-8 shooting from the field.
Malonzo actually didn’t score his first two points until the 51-second mark of overtime by converting two free throws to cut the TNT lead at 85-83. Of course, Malonzo had the daunting task of taking on Hollis-Jefferson on defense as the secondary defender against the TNT import after Stephen Holt.
Rosario meanwhile, appeared to have aggravated his double ankle sprain in the first half that rendered him good for just 11 minutes of play.
6.FANS ASK WHERE IS LA TENORIO?
Netizens took notice of the short, eight-man rotation of coach Tim Cone, none of which include the veteran court general.
With the heavy pressure of playing in a Game 7, Tenorio’s experience could have somehow helped stabilize the Ginebra backcourt which had been lacking consistent contributions from back up guards Maverick Ahanmisi and RJ Abarrientos.
For the entire series, ‘El Tinyente’ only played in Game 5 which the Kings won, 73-66, to take a 3-2 lead. He played for six minutes and had an assist and a rebound and was 0-for-1 from the field.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
