MANILA, Philippines – In front of bewildered pro-Barangay Ginebra supporters, TNT and its outnumbered but loud and proud supporters celebrated coronation night in the PBA Governors’ Cup.
With tremendous resolve, the Tropang Giga toppled the Gin Kings in the season-ending tournament they used to rule with an iron fist, 97-93, to meet their date with destiny as the new overlords Friday night before a 13,588-strong crowd at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Mikey Williams started the fire in the memorable Game 6 clincher, rifling in 38 big points spiked by nine 3-pointers — the last of which handed TNT a 95-93 cushion going to the last 1:15 — en route to Finals MVP honors.
Best Import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson served as the finisher for Jojo Lastimosa’s team, banging in 18 of his 29 in the second half and capping his heroics with a pair of cold-blooded dagger free throws that made it a four-point contest with 3.2 seconds left.
To cheers from the TNT supporters led by PLDT honcho Manny V. Pangilinan himself, the Tropang Giga marked their first Governors’ Cup title in franchise history. Along the way they ended the reign of Tim Cone and the Gin Kings, who have won four of the last five editions of the meet.
“Going into the finals, I knew we have to come up with a better game to dethrone them and huge credit to the coaching staff and the players (for rising to the occasion),” said Lastimosa, who took over at the start of the conference to allow coach Chot Reyes to focus fully on Gilas Pilipinas.
TNT got the job done by beating the Gin Kings thrice in a row coming off a 1-2 deficit. The new champs overcame the absence of local ace RR Pogoy (hand injury) and big man Justin Chua (ACL).
Justin Brownlee, giving his all two days after getting downed by food poisoning, shot a team-high 29. But the resident import couldn’t save Ginebra from the fall as he bungled a pair of Ginebra's attempts to tie the game at 95.
“We weathered a big storm. We stayed composed when they had a big run and we came back,” said Williams.
Facing a do-or-die situation, Ginebra went aggressive early and went up by as many as 11 points twice in the first half. Brownlee, on the court for 21 minutes in the initial skirmishes, had 18 to banner the embattled Gin Kings.
But TNT rode on Williams’ 26-point, seven-triple first-half sizzler to repeatedly pull back to manageable levels.
When the second half came, Hollis-Jefferson and the Tropang Giga stepped it up further to finish the job.