Good night vs bad team
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson played managed minutes in his much-awaited return on Tuesday—even if he felt like he played for an eternity.
“It’s a different feel. It’s a different type of endurance,” Hollis-Jefferson said. “I felt like I played 40 minutes again, and it was [only] 22.”
Those 22 were the only minutes TNT needed from him.
The Tropang Giga got a low-impact opportunity to warm up Hollis-Jefferson for the tougher games ahead as they cruised to a 142-87 demolition of the hapless Macau Giant Pandas in the PBA Governors’ Cup.
Hollis-Jefferson finished with 22 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals in his first game since December, when he tore his Achilles while playing for Meralco in the East Asia Super League.
His recovery proved to be a lengthy one, as Hollis-Jefferson wanted to make sure that he was in perfect shape before slipping into his famous No. 24 jersey for TNT.
And the former Brooklyn Net and three-time PBA Best Import awardee couldn’t have found a better opponent to get his rhythm back.
Macau has lost its last five games, and the last four of those defeats have given up an average of 46.8 points per game. Its 55-point defeat to TNT is the third biggest margin in league history, coming just a week after losing by an all-time record of 60 points.
The beleaguered guest team is the only squad in history to appear twice in the top three worst defeats recorded.
Macau trailed by 61 in the fourth but trimmed the deficit to avoid the ignominy of posting the two worst defeats in the PBA.
“I think I’m still trying to get it, and that was a game for that, to gauge myself, see where I was at,” Hollis-Jefferson said.
The versatile American made 10 of his 22 attempts from the field as he worked his midrange game to mixed results. He even had a breakaway dunk in the first half. But his moments of brilliance were sometimes interrupted by signs that he still had work to do: Hollis-Jefferson was seen trying to catch his breath at times.
Hollis-Jefferson had been in town during the course of the conference, and even when the league took a long break, he worked on his game with help from TNT coaches and utility staff.
He did spend some time back in the United States a few weeks ago to mourn the death of his grandmother before joining the Tropang 5G bench on Saturday when they beat the San Miguel Beermen at Ynares Center in Antipolo.
“I’ve been training really hard. Anybody that’s been around can tell you that,” he said. “I’ve been dealing with a lot of personal stuff, but when I get into basketball mode, I try to stay focused on basketball and give my all.”
TNT improved to 7-4, edging closer to securing at least the No. 3 position in Group A.
The Tropang 5G will get an early feel for the playoffs on Sunday when they face the Converge FiberXers at Ynares Center in Antipolo, with Hollis-Jefferson expected to deal with a much sterner test.
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