DOGFIGHT LOOMS: Ginebra, TNT clash for pivotal Game 5 victory

Game today:

(Smart Araneta Coliseum)

7:30 p.m. — TNT vs Ginebra

It’s now down to a footrace to two wins.

Defending champion TNT and Barangay Ginebra dispute the pivotal Game 5 after splitting the first four games of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Governors’ Cup best-of-seven finals series today at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Expect fireworks when the Tropang Giga and Kings march back into the battlefield for the series lead at 7:30 p.m.

Ginebra after going down 0-2 in the championship rematch of last year’s edition has drawn level after a spirited comeback in the next two games.

The Kings rediscovered its lethal outside shooting especially in Game 4 when Maverick Ahanmisi and Stephen Holt drained huge long bombs down the final stretch of their 106-92 triumph.

TNT mentor Chot Reyes acknowledges that momentum has shifted to Ginebra’s side due to their fault.

Reyes has warned his wards not to give an inch for the Kings to find their groove. The Tropang Giga relied on their vaunted defense to neutralize Ginebra’s outside shooting.

The Kings did great at adjusting and gave TNT a dose of its own medicine with a crippling defensive effort to reduce the title showdown to a virtual best-of-three.

“In a seven-game series of two very good teams, the momentum can really shift both ways. Yeah, they definitely have the momentum and we have to find a way to stop it,” Reyes said.

However, Ginebra coach Tim Cone downplays that idea.

“All we did was tie the series, it’s 0-0. It’s (now) a best-of-three so we can’t live off the last two games and feel good about that,” he said.

Cone knows very well that Reyes, who has beaten him thrice in six finals head-to-head, will concoct a potent game plan to regain control of the series.

“We got to keep forward moving and forward thinking,” the winningest PBA mentor with 25 championships said.

Justin Brownlee, who is one more title away from becoming the winningest reinforcement in league history, will try to carry the Kings once again after firing 34 points last game.

Backing him up are Ahanmisi, Holt, reliable big man Japeth Aguilar and the backcourt duo of Scottie Thompson and rookie RJ Abarrientos.

However, Best Import winner Rondae Hollis-Jefferson won’t allow TNT to go down one game.

Ginebra spoiled Hollis-Jefferson’s celebration of bagging his second straight individual award in Game 4.

He will be looking at Calvin Oftana, Rey Nambatac, RR Pogoy, Jayson Castro and Poy Erram to get TNT, who lost consecutive games for the first time in the playoffs, back on the winning track.