Back to zero

The PBA Governors’ Cup Finals is virtually back to zero with defending champion TNT and tough-as-nails challenger Barangay Ginebra claiming two wins apiece to send the best-of-seven series back to square one with the race down to a max of six or seven games.

Not too many fans gave Ginebra a chance to recover after TNT zoomed to a 2-0 lead, bamboozling coach Tim Cone’s charges with a defensive stranglehold that limited the Barangay to an average of 86 points. Justin Brownlee, heralded as the all-time import yardstick, was turned into a mere mortal by rampaging Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and his band of brothers. Brownlee, who shot a lofty .393 from three in the semis, couldn’t buy a triple in those first two encounters, hounded by a trapping double team to take away his perimeter point of attack.

Then, Cone uncovered a formula in Game Three to turn things around. He started LA Tenorio for the first time this conference and unleashed Joe DeVance who sat out Games One and Two to recover from a nasty bone bruise in the left knee. The extended rotation allowed Cone some relief for his core and in the homestretch, Ginebra answered the bell with fresh legs. In the fourth quarter, RHJ hit a lowly .182 from the field and was 0-of-5 from three and four. It was his second straight no-relief game and in the last 12 minutes, he looked spent.

In Game Four, Cone ripped a page from coach Chot Reyes’ playbook and bombed from outside while hanging tough defensively, particularly in the paint. Ginebra scored 106 points, 47 from the perimeter where TNT had the advantage in the first two encounters. Brownlee fired 34 but got a lot of help from Japeth Aguilar, Mav Ahanmisi and Stephen Holt who tallied 18 apiece. Scottie Thompson chipped in 12. Reyes tried to do a Tenorio by starting Jayson Castro for the first time in the Finals but didn’t get the same result.

Now, the chess match moves to Game Five at the Big Dome tonight. TNT hasn’t lost three in a row this conference and Ginebra will try to extend the streak. What’s going for TNT is Reyes’ longer rotation. Cone has stretched his sub pattern to accommodate more bench players but in the end, the burden remains with his nucleus. In the Finals, six TNT players are logging at least 20 minutes with RHJ (47:13), Calvin Oftana (37:33) and Roger Pogoy (35:44) averaging 30 or more. In contrast, five Ginebra players are averaging at least 20 minutes and all of them are logging 30 or more.

The two-day break between Games Four and Five will mean extra rest for the players so both teams are expected to go all out tonight. A strong start sets the tone and that’s what the teams are determined to do. For TNT to win, RHJ must be unstoppable as he was in firing 37 in Game Two. His versatility is off the charts and when he’s sizzling, the Tropa is humming. Crashing the boards is key as in every game of the Finals, the team that had more rebounds won. Defending Ginebra’s pick-and-roll is critical to take away Aguilar’s attack. For Ginebra to win, Brownlee must establish his outside artillery early and stretch the floor for Aguilar, Thompson, Ahanmisi and Holt to exploit the open space. Ginebra’s pressure must shut down TNT’s passing lanes, force individual forays and create turnovers all of which happened in Game Four. Cone is still waiting for RJ Abarrientos to deliver like he did in the semis and if the Blitz reemerges, it could be the difference maker.