GOING FOR THE KILL: Tropang Giga aim to deliver knockout punch

Games today:

(Ynares Center)

5 p.m. — San Miguel vs Ginebra

7:30 p.m. — TNT vs Rain or Shine

Defending champion TNT Tropang Giga is already at the doorstep of another finals appearance in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Governors’ Cup.

But Tropang Giga head coach Chot Reyes knows that they are now in the hardest part of their best-of-seven showdown against gritty Rain or Shine.

TNT tries to close out the series in Game 5 today at the Ynares Sports Center in Antipolo City.

The Tropang Giga holds a commanding 3-1 lead and will march in the first of three attempts to finish off the Elasto Painters at 7:30 p.m.

Reigning Best Import winner Rondae Hollis-Jefferson exploded at crunch time, barreling his way for the game-winning slam dunk in the Tropang Giga’s thrilling 81-79 escape in Game 4 Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Hollis-Jefferson’s rim-rattler shattered a 79-79 deadlock with 37 seconds left. He then grabbed a crucial rebound to secure the victory that drew TNT just a win away from another title shot in the tournament it ruled last year at the expense of Barangay Ginebra San Miguel.

The last two games of the series have been decided by a single possession, with Rain or Shine slipping past the Tropang Giga, 110-109, in Game 3 last Sunday.

Reyes expects nothing less in Game 5.

“In the end, they know what we wanna do. We know what they wanna do. It just really going to boil down to who wants it more,” Reyes said.

“Hopefully, we’ll come back on Friday with the same kind of hunger and edge on Game 5.”

Veterans Jayson Castro and Kelly Williams are expected to provide quality minutes despite playing hurt to help TNT wrap the series.

Both Castro and Williams made their presence felt in Game 4 after missing games due to health issues. Castro (knee) skipped Game 3 while Williams (calf) was out in Games 2 and 3.

Meanwhile, back to square one, San Miguel Beer seeks to seize the lead against Ginebra in their crucial Game 5 collision at 5 p.m.

The Beermen evened the series, 2-2, after a convincing 131-121 win in Game 4.

San Miguel head coach Jorge Gallent hopes that they can alter the trend and finally get the upper hand instead of just tying it up.

“I just hope we change the tide in Friday’s game. Now, it’s down to a best-of-three. So, we’ll just think of it that Game 1 is on Friday,” Gallent said.

“In a best-of-three, Game 1 is very important. So, I just hope tradition breaks on Friday.”

The Beermen torched the Kings by shooting 53 percent from the field with six players putting up double-figure scoring led by June Mar Fajardo’s 29 points while EJ Anosike and CJ Perez added 27 and 20, respectively.

San Miguel also dominated the boards, 50-35.

But for Ginebra coach Tim Cone, Game 4 is over and done.

What matters now is to make sure that the next game will come the Gin Kings’ way.

“Basically, it’s back to the drawing boards and we’ll figure out what we could do better next time around,” he said.