An unexpected blow-out

Barangay Ginebra’s 95-78 romp over TNT in Game 4 of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals at the Ynares Center, Antipolo, last Friday was an unexpected blow-out. The 17-point margin was the largest in the series with TNT drawing first blood by six, Ginebra leveling by one and TNT taking Game 3 by two.

Defense has been coach Tim Cone’s recipe for victory as in Ginebra’s two wins, TNT was held to an average of 74 points and in two losses, the average was 91. That’s a 17-point difference between winning and losing. It’s no coincidence that in Game 4, Ginebra won by 17.

Game 4 was a tight contest until Poy Erram fouled out with 6:47 left. Erram’s departure triggered a scorching 11-0 run and it wasn’t until 2:12 left that Rey Nambatac broke the silence. Still, Ginebra finished with a backbreaking 17-2 run as TNT crumbled under an unforgiving defense that blanked RR Pogoy in the second half. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson failed to muster the energy that he showed in TNTs previous wins and wound up with 14 points, four in the last two quarters. It was RHJ’s lowest total the entire conference.

TNT had a chance to steal it in the fourth quarter as Ginebra’s lead dwindled to two thrice. But the Tropa’s three-point gunners were quiet in the homestretch. TNT took 43 percent of its shots from three but could only hit .281. When TNT lost Game 2, its three-point rate was even lower at .194. For a team that takes over 40 percent of its shots from deep, TNT has to connect at least 35 percent to make a difference.

If Ginebra was in awe of Justin Brownlee’s valiant showing despite a torn ligament in his right thumb, TNT had to be as impressed. Brownlee wasn’t expected to play but came out firing. Once, Nambatac made contact with Brownlee’s hand during a defensive play and it raised a howl from Ginebra’s bench. TNT paid a little too much respect for Brownlee who unloaded 17 shots to deliver 23 points with his right thumb heavily taped. He was virtually unmolested in taking mid-range jumpers.

Now that the series is tied at a win apiece, Game 6 is assured. In the previous conference where Ginebra and TNT also figured in the Finals, the series was knotted, 2-all, after four games. Then, TNT clinched with a 27-point crusher in Game 5 and a 10-point win in Game 6. But in that showdown, Jayson Castro was in harness and Jamie Malonzo wasn’t.

Malonzo’s presence was telling in Game 4. He scored 24 points and buried at least a triple in every quarter to mark his consistency. Malonzo hit 10 of his points in the last period where Ginebra delivered the killing blows. He had scored only 13 points in the three previous games so the explosion was a surprise. Ginebra’s 33-9 advantage in bench points reflected a major contribution from the second unit to step up for Brownlee. With momentum on Ginebra’s side, TNT will try to reprise what happened in the last conference.