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TNT defends Governors' Cup crown successfully
The TNT Tropang Giga kept their title as the PBA Governors' Cup champion when they finally ended the series of the Season 49 edition, conquering Barangay Ginebra, 95-85, on Friday night, November 8, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
It was another sweet victory for TNT as they finished the series once again in six games just like what they did in 2023.
Tropang Giga's hardworking reinforcement Rondae Hollis-Jefferson led the squad with 31 big points and defeated Ginebra's resident import Justin Brownlee for the second time around. In fact, Brownlee was 6-0 in the Finals until Hollis-Jefferson came into the picture last year.
RHJ also grabbed 16 rebounds and dished off seven assists during the game.
Photo Courtesy: PBA Images
"It took a lot of belief from top to bottom, believing we can do it, trusting in our process. And everything, all the work we put in, paid off," said Hollis-Jefferson.
"Chot said we didn't come this far just to come this far and we got the championship," he added.
TNT continued to rely on their defense all throughout the season. They even topped their group and won the most games in the elimination round. And their perseverance has come into fruition as they won the 10th championship of the franchise.
The Tropang Giga held Brownlee and the Gin Kings to be scoreless in the last five minutes of play, while RHJ, Kelly Williams and RR Pogoy joined forces in a 12-to-nothing closing salvo to finally secure a 10-point victory and sealed the game with a championship.
Coach Chot Reyes was already pumping his fist in the air as Pogoy drained a trey shortly after a missed four-point attempt from Justin Brownlee, giving TNT a 94-85 lead in the closing seconds.
It was also Reyes's 10th PBA crown, including the championships he gained with Purefoods/Coney Island and Coca-Cola. He is now also ahead of Coach Tim Cone, 4-3, in their head-to-head battle as head coaches.
PLDT chairman Manny V. Pangilinan and TNT Governor Ricky Vargas were present in celebrating the Tropang Giga's victory.
Meanwhile, Jayson Castro, named Finals MVP, led the local squad for TNT together with RR Pogoy and Rey Nambatac, who won his first PBA title. They fired up 38 points highlighted by six triples to resist the breakout game of Ginebra rookie RJ Abarrientos who produced 31 to spark the Gin Kings in forcing Game 7 but came up short in the end.
Abarrientos was at the forefront of Ginebra's attack as the Kings took a 43-42 edge at the half then posted double-digit spreads towards the end of the third.
They were still comfortably ahead, 74-66, at the start of the fourth but then the Tropang Giga made a 13-2 run to grab the upper hand, 79-77.
And from that point on, it was a TNT show and the Tropang Giga have emerged as back-to-back Governors' Cup champions.
The Scores:
TNT 95 - Hollis-Jefferson 31, Castro 13, Pogoy 13, Nambatac 12, Oftana 8, Khobuntin 7, Aurin 5, Williams 4, Erram 2, Exciminiano 0.
GINEBRA 85 - Abarrientos 31, Brownlee 16, Holt 12, Ahanmisi 9, J.Aguilar 8, Thompson 6, Cu 3, Mariano 0, Pinto 0.
QUARTERS : 21-16, 42-43, 63-74, 95-85.
