ANTIPOLO – TNT went on dream start to pick up a wire-to-wire victory over Barangay Ginebra, 104-88, on Sunday in Game One of the PBA 49th Season Governors’ Cup Finals at the packed Ynares Center.
The Tropang Giga opened Game One with a 19-4 lead and never looked back, hitting their outside shots consistently to pad their gap until the final buzzer in a near-perfect start to the best-of-seven championship series.
Game Two is slated on Wednesday at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
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Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Poy Erram, and Jayson Castro were the central figures in the victory by TNT. Just as impressive was a defense that held Ginebra to 18 points below its average per game this conference.
The Gin Kings fired blanks from the beginning. The league leader in three-point shooting percentage went 0-of-18 from threes in the first three quarters, to the dismay of majority in the biggest crowd to watch a PBA game in the Antipolo venue.
TNT’s defense held Ginebra to just 2-of-21 shooting from threes on its way to its lowest points in these playoffs. The Tropang Giga led by as many as 20 points, 89-69.
“We know the strength of Ginebra. We are a very data-driven team,” said TNT coach Chot Reyes. “We looked at the numbers and we focused really on that, taking away their strengths and making sure that we lean on what are strengths really is which is our ability to stop teams.”
Hollis-Jefferson had 19 points, his lowest scoring output in the playoffs, but still contributed on other aspects of the game as he piled up 10 rebounds, four assists, one steal, and three blocks.
Rey Nambatac, in his first finals appearance, added 18 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists, while also scoring 12 in the final quarter to help maintain TNT’s big lead.
Erram had 15 points, while Castro was vintage, scoring 12 of his 14 markers in the third quarter for the Tropang Giga, most of which came against Ginebra rookie RJ Abarrientos, as they grabbed a 72-62 lead entering the fourth quarter.
Justin Brownlee had 23 points, seven rebounds, and six assists, but shot 1-of-5 from fours and 0-of-2 from threes. Japeth Aguilar added 14 points and six rebounds, while Ralph Cu had 13 points, five rebounds, and six assists for the Gin Kings.
The scores:
TNT 102 – Hollis-Jefferson 19, Nambatac 18, Erram 15, Castro 14, Pogoy 12, Oftana 9, Aurin 8, Khobuntin 5, Williams 2, Heruela 2, Galinato 0, Payawal 0.
Barangay Ginebra 88 – Brownlee 23, J. Aguilar 14, Cu 13, Holt 12, Ahanmisi 10, Thompson 7, Abarrientos 5, Pinto 2, Tenorio 2, Mariano 0, Pessumal 0, Adamos 0.
Quarters: 27-15; 43-22; 72-62; 104-88.
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