TIDE HAS TURNED
Scottie Thompson has been Barangay Ginebra’s most consistent local in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals—maybe even its silent operator, if you will.
But Thompson, as he has done in the past, finally came out with plays that 12,447 mostly pro-Ginebra fans at Smart Araneta Coliseum were glad to see on Sunday night as the Gin Kings moved on the cusp of savoring that championship feeling once more.
Thompson led a grind-out 73-66 win over TNT that put Ginebra ahead, 3-2, in the best-of-seven series after finishing with 16 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and two steals before Justin Brownlee bucked early struggles while still nursing a dislocated right thumb to knock down important shots in the end as Ginebra was victorious for the second straight time.
TNT won the series opener before losing Game 2 by a point. A narrow triumph in the third game had the Tropang Giga leading the series for the last time.
And with another win on Wednesday at the same venue, the Gin Kings can finally end their struggles facing Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and the Tropang Giga in the Finals and lift a championship trophy for the first time since the 2022-2023 Commissioner’s Cup.
Rough night for RHJ
“It’s been a while since we won a championship and I just want to give my all,” said Thompson.
Hollis-Jefferson endured another rough shooting night, his 19 points coming from a horrid 7-for-26 clip which greatly contributed to TNT’s downfall and the Ginebra pull-away when it mattered.
Thompson scored six consecutive points, including back-to-back off good friend Calvin Oftana and Ginebra went ahead 69-66 with over three minutes left. Brownlee, who will reportedly need surgery on the injured right thumb after the series, then put the finishing touches by scoring back-to-back shots on his way to 18 points.
The heroics that made up for Brownlee being held to two points in the first half made Thompson’s consistent play in the series even more glaring, and may be the front-runner for the PBA Press Corps’ Finals Most Valuable Player if Ginebra gets the job done.
After Sunday, Thompson, Finals MVP in the 2018 Commissioner’s Cup and 2021-2022 Governors’ Cup, averaged 14.6 points, 10.4 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.2 steals.
“There’s so much Scottie does that doesn’t show up on the stats sheets,” said coach Tim Cone. “It’s just Scottie being Scottie.”
TNT’s loss despite a 45-35 halftime lead spoiled another strong game from Rey Nambatac, who is also a Finals MVP contender should his team turn things around. He finished with 19 points.
The Tropang Giga’s collapse was also highlighted by another incident surrounding Poy Erram when he and coach Chot Reyes had a disagreement during a timeout huddle.
