Ginebra, TNT seeking resolve to get things done
Resilience has carried both Barangay Ginebra and TNT to this point of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals. But this is also where the road will begin to diverge for the two clubs.
When the door swings open for the Gin Kings on Wednesday, a 16th championship awaits. It will be the first title in two years for a proud franchise gallantly fighting behind its banged-up hero Justin Brownlee.
For the Tropang Giga, though, a win won’t mean instant glory. At least, not yet. Their road on Wednesday leads to another game that extends their hunt for a second-straight crown at a time they are without fleet-footed cornerstone Jayson Castro, along with a bid for a rare Grand Slam that only they are capable of snaring this season.
For either team, the series demands something else: Resolve.
Barangay Ginebra, fresh off a comeback 73-66 Game 5 victory last Sunday, will try to finish off its old tormentor. But Brownlee knows all too well that doing so is no simple task.
“… [I]n my opinion, and my experience, and even coach Tim (Cone) says it to the team all the time whenever we got a lead: the hardest game in the series is the close-out game,” he told reporters following a spirited 18-point and 14-rebound job, janky thumb and all.
“If you want to close this team out, it’s going to take an incredible amount of effort and focus,” he added.
Misfiring
TNT, on the other hand, is left without any better recourse. After having the crowd darlings on the ropes with a double-digit lead, and fumbling a golden chance, the telco club is now on the nasty end of a no-tomorrow.
“We lose, it’s over. It’s all or nothing for us. And we got to take it to Game 7,” said Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, who let reporters in on the plan to bounce back.
“Watch some film, see what happened, you know, after having a 10-point lead,” he said. “Really, it’s just locking in and understanding how important this is.”
The Tropang Giga were firing blanks from the field in the last seven minutes of the contest, with only Rey Nambatac’s two freebies being the only points they scored until the final horn.
Ginebra has begun bracing for a vengeful TNT with a renewed zest.
“We are definitely gonna come and try with all our might. You know, TNT is a great team, and the past has shown they can beat us two times in the Finals, so we know it’s not gonna be easy,” said Brownlee.
“We’re just expecting it’s just going to be a hard-fought last two games,” he added.
“Or one game—if we can close it out. It’s still a long way from being over for us.”
