BARANGAY Ginebra and TNT will square off in the 2023 PBA Governors’ Cup beginning on Easter Sunday at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
When they face each other for the crown, it will be one of the few times – fourth to be exact – that both teams will be up against each other in the history of the PBA.
Let’s look back at their previous finals tiffs.
History of Ginebra vs TNT finals matchups
2020 PHILIPPINE CUP
The last time Ginebra and TNT faced in the finals was during the bubble staged in Clark during the pandemic. During the closed door setting with no fans, Ginebra defeated TNT in the series, 4-1, at the Angeles University Foundation gym. Ginebra started the series with two straight wins including a Game One win where the Gins forced overtime on a lay-up by Arvin Tolentino en route to a 100-94 victory.
After a 92-90 win in Game Two where Roger Pogoy missed a potential game-winning three, Ginebra never looked back. The Gins sealed the finals in Game Five with an 82-78 win with Japeth Aguilar tallying 32 points and nine rebounds in the clincher. Stanley Pringle was named Best Player of the Conference, while LA Tenorio the Finals MVP.
2011 COMMISSIONER’S CUP
The Tropang Texters grabbed their first finals series win during this time, beating the Gin Kings, 4-2, with Jimmy Alapag and Jayson Castro sharing the Finals MVP honors. The clincher saw TNT displaying a ‘Never Say Die’ attitude where they came back from an 81-65 deficit to force overtime through a lay-up by Alapag, who later joined forces with Castro and Ranidel De Ocampo in the extra session.
2005-2006 FIESTA CONFERENCE
The first finals series between Ginebra and Talk ‘N Text may be remembered not by the result but the controversy that hounded Game One of the series.
In the opener, Asi Taulava played after getting a go-signal from the courts to return to Talk ‘N Text after he was suspended by the PBA after a Department of Justice ruling that he faked his citizenship. Ginebra protested Game One saying that Taulava was ineligible to play. The PBA upheld the protest, leading to the forfeiture of their 89-71 win, and Talk 'N Text never fielded Taulava again in the series.
Ginebra won the final two games of the series including a 95-85 double overtime win in Game Five before the Gins sealed the title with a 96-86 win in Game Six. Eric Menk had 39 points and 19 rebounds in the series clincher to take the Finals MVP.
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