CLASH OF UNDERDOGS: TNT, Ginebra brush off title chances as Finals erupt

CLASH OF UNDERDOGS: TNT, Ginebra brush off title chances as Finals erupt | Daily Tribune

Each has its own storyline but with the same goal of closing the mid-season tournament on top.

One will get closer to getting the job done in Game 1 of the best-of-seven series today at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Tipoff time is set at 7:30 p.m.

TNT will march into its fifth straight finals appearance. The Chot Reyes-mentored squad hopes to replicate the last edition’s success over a team it has beaten in their previous three finals meetings.

Although they struggled in the elimination round and had to deal with an unfortunate conference-ending injury to their super import Bol Bol, the Tropang 5G secured a championship berth by sending Meralco packing in a 97-94 nail-biter in Game 6 of the semifinals last Sunday.

Chris McCullough’s entry as a replacement for 7-foot-3 Bol, who suffered an Achilles tear in Game 2 of the semis, has proven to be a wise choice as he fits well with Reyes’ system.

McCullough helped San Miguel Beer win the crown during the 2019 edition of the tournament.

But Reyes still feels TNT is at a disadvantage going up against the stacked Ginebra lineup.

“Obviously, we are coming in as huge underdogs playing basically the Philippine national team. We are playing Gilas and the reigning GOAT (greatest of all time) of all imports in the PBA in JB (Justin Brownlee),” Reyes said.

The 11-time PBA champion coach isn’t really buying being the “defending champion” tag given to them.

“First of all, we are only the defending champions in name because it so happened that this is the same tournament that we last won. It’s a very different series this time,” said Reyes, who last year has three-time Best Import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson leading the charge.

His rival on the other side of the bench, Tim Cone, is also driven, considering the Kings have yet to win a finals series over the Tropang 5G since the 2020 Philippine Cup bubble.

“I think both teams are deserving to be here but one’s going to come out on top. Sometimes, it’s not always, you know, it’s not fun being the second-place team,” Cone said.

Just like TNT, Ginebra closed its semis series over Rain or Shine in Game 6 in a 118-107 decision in front of over 11,000 record-crowd inside Ynares Center-Antipolo.

The Kings defeated the Tropang 5G in the elimination round but Cone knows it won’t be a factor in the series.

“I said that when we played them and beat them in the eliminations in a non-bearing game, and they were going to be the eighth seed, I said at that point that I’ll be the most surprised person in the room if they don’t make the finals and we don’t see them again in the playoffs,” Cone said.

“Eighth or (any seed), the fact that they are a championship team and they have been to the finals four consecutive times before now doesn’t surprise me that all that they are here as the eighth seed,” he added.

Local support will play a huge role in the series with the Kings banking on Scottie Thompson, RJ Abarrientos, Troy Rosario, Japeth Aguilar and Stephen Holt.

Ginebra last year blew a 3-2 series lead and dropped Game 7 in overtime, 87-83.

“We’re taking it as motivation coming to this series,” Thompson said.

“We learned a lot of lessons from that loss that we’ll be bringing in this series, especially on the defensive end. Against TNT, you have to play consistent defense from start to finish,” he added.

TNT, on the other hand, has a healthier lineup with RR Pogoy, Jayson Castro, Rey Nambatac, Calvin Oftana and Jordan Heading, whose completed three-point play in the last 42 seconds spared his squad from a Game 7.