'Willingness to move the ball’ keeps Tropang Giga ahead vs Gin Kings

MANILA, Philippines — Patience and unselfishness were the keys for the TNT Tropang Giga’s 3-point explosion in their 96-84 Game 2 win over Barangay Ginebra in the PBA Governors’ Cup Finals Wednesday night, head coach Chot Reyes said. 

The Tropang Giga banked on a solid defense and torrential 3-point shooting to go up 2-0 in the series. 

They sank 14-of-37 3-pointers — good for 37.8% shooting — compared to the Gin Kings’ 7-of-27 clip from beyond the arc. 

After the game, Reyes said that the squad just took advantage of the opportunities presented to them. 

“Yeah, that's our game. We take what are the opportunities in front of us. If they play us a certain way, then we're going to take the penetration and we're going to drive. If they cover that, then we make sure that we get the next best open shot,” he told reporters. 

“So credit to the players. They really are very patient in moving the ball and finding the open man. Of those 3-pointers, very few of them were on transition or first pass. Most of them were within the flow of the offense and just making sure that we are working patiently and finding the best open shot,” he added. 

TNT made seven of their 10 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, when they converted a slim 72-71 lead into a seven-point advantage, 78-71, after back-to-back triples in the first minute. 

And when Ginebra tried to claw back into it, 3-pointers by Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Glenn Khobuntin put the icing on the cake. 

“There's really no secret to our game. It's just the willingness of our players to move the ball. And the most important thing is their selflessness. I think with the style of play that we play, it really boils down to your willingness to pass the ball,” Reyes said.

“That's a testament to the selflessness of our players.” 

Hollis-Jefferson finished with 37 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists for the Tropang Giga. He made six of his 12 attempts from rainbow country, while Calvin Oftana and Khobuntin both had 13 markers apiece and three 3-pointers made. 

For his part, Hollis-Jefferson said that his eruption from beyond the arc “was basically a shift in the mindset.” 

“I don't know if you guys watch, but in the Asian Games, they forced me to shoot a lot of 3s and they beat us with a gold medal game. And we talked about that. And I kind of I just shifted my mindset,” he said. 

“I knew that was going to be the game plan. And they were willing to live with that the whole game. I guess they thought that it was a fluke or it wouldn't happen. But I'm a professional player. I work on it every day,” he added. 

“And I believe in it. My teammates, coaches, they believe in it. They tell me to shoot.”

Game 3 of the finals will be on Friday, November 1, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.