TNT top seed, Ginebra No. 3
RONDAE Hollis Jefferson scored 34 points on 12 of 19 shooting as TNT rallied from 14 points down to beat Ginebra, 114-105, in the PBA Governors’ Cup at the Philsports Arena.
Roger Pogoy went 9 for 17, finishing with 22 points as the Tropang Giga gained the top seeding for the quarterfinals with a 10-1 win-loss record.
TNT holds a twice-to-beat advantage against No. 8 Phoenix.
Justin Brownlee had 27 points on 11 of 24 shooting for Ginebra, which enters the quarterfinals as third seed at 8-3 behind San Miguel (9-2).
The Gin Kings also has a twice-to-beat advantage in the round of eight, against the NLEX Road Warriors (7-4).
San Miguel No. 2
SAN Miguel eased past also-ran Rain or Shine, 129-116, and ended up in the No. 2 spot in the round of eight of the PBA Governors’ Cup.
Vic Manuel and Mo Tautuaa had 23 points each for the Beermen, who will take on Converge (6-5).
CJ Perez had 20 points, 12 rebounds and six assists, while Cameron Clarkj and Marcio Lassiter scored 20 points each for San Miguel.
Gian Mamuyac scored 23 on 9 of 16 shooting for Rain or Shine, which finished with a 2-9 record for joint 10th spot in the 12-team tournament.
Rain or Shine fined
PLAYING without an import cost Rain or Shine P50,000. Bringing in a new import would have cost more.
Import-less in the previous two games, the Elasto Painters were fined for playing without an import for the third consecutive match.
Greg Smith got injured and replacement Jordan Tolbert was found to be over the import height limit of 6 feet 6 inches, forcing Rain or Shine to play without an import until the final game of the eliminations.
Bringing in a new import would have cost more than the fine on Rain or Shine, which was among the first to be eliminated from playoff contention.
James Yap update
IT is uncertain whether James Yap will return to action next season, saying it’s up to Rain or Shine management if a new contract will be offered.
The Governors’ Cup was expected to be Yap’s farewell tournament, returning to action following a leave of absence when he sought a seat in the San Juan City council.
The 41-year-old Yap believes he can still deliver for the team, saying he felt even better on the floor this time than the 2021 Philippine Cup.
"Tignan natin. Mukhang kaya pa naman," said Yap.
"Sa ngayon, masasabi ko naman na healthy ako. 'Yun ang talagang iniisip ko," said Yap.
"Tignan natin. See you next conference," Yap added with a smile.
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