RONDAE Hollis-Jefferson went berserk in the fourth quarter as TNT finished off Rain or Shine, 97-92, on Friday in Game Five of their PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinal playoff at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
Hollis-Jefferson scored 17 of his 42 points in the final quarter to help the Tropang Giga wrap up their best-of-seven playoff, 4-1, and reach the championship series for the second straight time in this 49th Season.
Calvin Oftana hit a three-pointer with 39.7 seconds left for a 93-86 lead to essentially seal the series win as well as a chance at replicating the Tropang Giga's championship run in the season-opening Governors’ Cup.
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TNT will now battle Barangay Ginebra, which dispatched NorthPort, 4-1, in the other semifinal series, in a reprise of the last Governors' Cup Finals.
“We really showed a lot of heart and guts down the stretch,” said TNT coach Chot Reyes. “We just wanted to make sure before the ballgame, we talked about just to make sure that we stay in the present and not allow our minds to wander during the ballgame.
"We felt we had a little letdown towards the end of the first half but we picked it up, and many other guys pitched in. It’s a testament to the players’ refusal to go down without a fight. This series was so close, could have easily gone either way. But in the end, our ability to make stops when it mattered most, I think, was the difference in the series."
TNT took Game 5 after overcoming a 13-point deficit in the third quarter, 59-46, with Hollis-Jefferson heating up in the next period.
Oftana added 12 rebounds in a double-double effort, his first this conference. Rey Nambatac also stepped up for the second straight time, contributing 12 points, four rebounds, eight assists, and two steals for TNT.
The Tropang Giga went on a 10-3 run capped by a Hollis-Jefferson dunk with 3:47 left for an 84-80 lead in a momentum-shift.
Deon Thompson had 34 points and six rebounds, while Adrian Nocum had 13 points, six rebounds, seven assists for the Elasto Painters.
The scores:
TNT 97 – Hollis-Jefferson 42, Nambatac 12, Oftana 12, Pogoy 9, Khobuntin 9, Williams 8, Aurin 3, Erram 2, Heruela 0, Galinato 0.
Rain or Shine 92 – Thompson 34, Nocum 13, Caracut 10, Tiongson 8, Santillan 7, Lemetti 6, Mamuyac 5, Norwood 5, Ildefonso 4, Asistio 0, Clarito 0, Datu 0.
Quarters: 28-27; 44-46; 66-67; 97-92.
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