Tropa brace for hot-shooting Kings

The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Governors’ Cup finals may be a rematch of the previous edition but defending champion TNT Tropang Giga faces an entirely different Barangay Ginebra this time.

Crossing paths for the first time under the new format of the season-opening conference, Tropang Giga head coach Chot Reyes is keeping a close eye on the Kings’ new and efficient weapon — their outside shooting.

Reyes admitted that TNT would have to extend its defense and challenge the crack shooters of Ginebra, which has shown a different dynamic in its offense with shooters Justin Brownlee, Maverick Ahanmisi and rookie RJ Abarrientos.

It doesn’t help that the Kings are also making a killing from the 27-foot four-point area.

Brownlee currently holds the record for most quadruples made in a single game with five since the innovation was implemented this conference.

“In their style of play, Ginebra used to be the team that takes the fewest three-point shots in any team in the league. And now they are the No. 1 in the league in three-point shooting and four-point shooting,” said Reyes, bracing for a grind-out best-of-seven championship series.

“Of course, Justin and Mav have a lot to do with that, and Ronjay (Abarrientos), too.”

TNT gets to test its defense on Sunday in Game 1 at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.

The Tropang Giga effectively negated Rain or Shine’s running game in the semifinals series that only needed five games to be decided.

In last year’s finals, TNT held off Ginebra in six games by clogging the driving lane and making life difficult for the Gin Kings to get the ball inside.