MANILA, Philippines — Itatayo ng nagdedepensang TNT Tropang Giga ang 2-0 lead, habang pipilitin ng Barangay Ginebra na makatabla.
Magtutuos ang Tropang Giga at Gin Kings ngayong alas-7:30 ng gabi sa Game Two ng Season 49 PBA Governors’ Cup Finals sa Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Inangkin ng TNT ang Game One, 104-88, para sa 1-0 bentahe sa kanilang best-of-seven championship series ng Ginebra.
Bukod kina import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson at first-time PBA finalist Rey Nambatac, muli ring aasahan ng Tropang Giga sina veterans Jayson Castro at Poy Erram.
“That’s why they’re there. They’re veterans. They know what to do in these situations. It’s not only the points they scored, it’s the other things that they do,” ani coach Chot Reyes.
Dinomina ng 38-anyos na si Castro, isang eight-time champion player, si Gin Kings’ rookie RJ Abarrientos sa Game One, habang binantayan ng 6-foot-7 na si Erram si 6’8 Japeth Aguilar.
“Iyon ang trabaho nila. As veterans, their job is to stabilize and take advantage of opportunities,” dagdag ng 61-anyos na si Reyes kina Castro at Erram.
Kailangan naman ng Ginebra na makatabla sa serye, ayon kay mentor Tim Cone.
“We have to run around and move on, see what we can do to change our fortunes in Game Two. We’ll see what we can do about it,” wika ng 25-time champion coach.
Inalat ang Gin Kings sa three-point line sa malamyang 2-of-21 shooting.
“TNT they have been a defensive team this conference,” wika ni Brownlee. “So it’s not gonna be easy.”
Bukod kina Brownlee, Abarrientos at Aguilar ay muli ring sasandigan ng Ginebra sina Scottie Thompson at Stephen Holt katapat sina Hollis-Jefferson, Nambatac, Castro, Erram at Roger Pogoy ng TNT.