TNT outwits Ginebra in Game 1

MANILA, Philippines — Numbers don’t lie and as TNT coach Chot Reyes described the Tropa as a data-driven team, he figured out a key to beating Barangay Ginebra in last Sunday’s Game One of the PBA Governors’ Cup Finals was to take away its biggest weapon – the three-point shot – and influence its deadliest outside gunner Justin Brownlee to stray from the perimeter.

In the semis, Brownlee shot .393 from three on an average of 4.7 attempts a game. As a team, Ginebra was No. 1 in the league in three-point percentage at .372 entering Game One. To reverse the tide, Reyes put Roger Pogoy on Brownlee to entice Gilas’ naturalized player to exploit the mismatch in height by operating inside, posting up and displaying power more than finesse.

Brownlee got away with 23 points but never hit a three in only two attempts although he had a four-point connection. TNT doubled Brownlee at the block and trapped him when he brought up the ball. The whole idea was to disrupt his rhythm. TNT took it a step further by closing out harder on Ginebra’s outside shooters. TNT wound up winning, 104-88. with Ginebra shooting a lowly .095 from three or 2-of-21. Ginebra was 0-of-18 from three up to the third quarter.

Defense clearly did it for TNT. For the conference, TNT is No. 1 in points allowed, giving up 89.9 a game. Reyes was on target in the Finals opener with Ginebra bleeding for only 88 and shooting .390 from the field, a far cry from its league-leading .479 clip. Another factor was rotation. Ginebra had five players logging at least 30 minutes and TNT, only two, meaning the Tropa had a wider distribution of court time.