Game today:

(Mall of Asia Arena)

7:30 p.m. --- TNT vs Ginebra

For the third straight time, Barangay Ginebra will be facing TNT Tropang Giga in the finals of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

But unlike their first two encounters, the Kings is armed with a lot of ammunitions when they march to warzone at 7:30 p.m. for Game 1 of their Commissioner’s Cup best-of-seven finals series tonight at the Mall of Asia Arena.

For one, the Tropang Giga will be fighting without their veteran leader Jayson Castro, who underwent surgery after suffering a ruptured right patellar tendon in Game 2 of their best-of-seven semifinal series against Rain or Shine.

It gets even more challenging for the Tropang Giga as the Kings have bolstered their roster with the inclusion of Jamie Malonzo and Jeremiah Gray at the wing spot together with former TNT slotman Troy Rosario, who joined them in the free agency.

TNT coach Chot Reyes raised serous concern about the inclusion of Rosario, saying that is skills, talent and familiarity to their system will be a major advantage for Ginebra.

“Troy brings a lot more than just his skills and his talent, and his willingness to do whatever it takes. He’s a great teammate and there’s so many intangibles when you talk about Troy,” said Reyes, who is expected to engage in a furious chess match against his good friend and old nemesis Tim Cone in what looms to be a hell of a serious due to the firepower, tenacity, hunger and basketball superiority of both teams.

“He wasn’t there in our last finals, so that’s going to be a big factor. But so is Jamie. Jamie is going to be 100 percent right now. And that’s another factor that we have to contend with.”

Still, the former Gilas Pilipinas mentor is unfazed.

“Really a tall order for us but these are the challenges that make any competition worthwhile, right?” said Reyes, who seeks to steer TNT to a second straight crown this season.

“When you’re faced with very tall odds and still you find ways to at least compete and give ourselves a chance and I think that is our mentality going to this series.”

Despite the absence of Castro, TNT remains formidable with Rondae Hollis-Jefferson leading the charge together with Calvin Oftana, RR Pogoy, Rey Nambatac, JP Erram, Glenn Khobuntin and ageless Kelly Williams.

The Tropang Giga beat the Kings, 91-86, in their elimination round clash.

Ginebra, on the other hand, seeks redemption after finding itself on the losing end of their finals encounters in the 2023 and this season’s Governors’ Cup.

“I think we’re coming into this series with a lot more depth than we had in the last time we played them, and I think that’s going to be a big factor for us, just the idea that we have a little bit more depth and length than we had in the last series we played,” said Cone, whose wards booted out top-seeded NorthPort in five games of the semifinals to advance to the finals.

The Kings have been lights out from the three-point area after burning Batang Pier with 43.1 percent shooting from the outside while averaging 33 assists per game in the semis.

Ginebra’s long-range bombs could play a big factor in the finals rematch.

The Kings only shot 27.9 percent from the three-point area during the previous championship series compared to the Tropang Giga’s 39.6 percent efficiency.

Focus will also be on Ginebra resident import Justin Brownlee as he tries to bring his team back into the throne for the first time since ruling the 2023 edition of the conference.

“It’s gonna be a hard-fought battle for us. They’ve been having our number. They’ve been playing well in the last two finals (against us). Hopefully, we could just get in there and change the stuff around and have a different outcome than the past two,” the three-time Best Import said.

Rookie RJ Abarrientos, Stephen Holt, Japeth Aguilar and Scottie Thompson are also ready to help Ginebra draw first blood.