No waving of white flag yet for TNT Tropang Giga.
With their backs against the wall, the Tropang Giga displayed true grit to essay a thrilling 87-83 win over Barangay Ginebra in Game 6 and drag their Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup finals series to a decider Wednesday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
TNT weathered a furious fourth quarter storm mounted by the Kings to level the best-of-seven title showdown to three games apiece.
Game 7 is on Friday at the same venue.
“We told the players before the game that this is our first do-or-die game with Rondae (Hollis-Jefferson). Our first-ever experience of a win or go home game with Rondae Hollis-Jefferson so I said what a great opportunity for us to learn about ourselves,” TNT coach Chot Reyes said.
“I said let’s just grab this opportunity. Go out there and play hard. We just wrote on the board: Compete. If we lose, we lose but at least we’re not going down without a fight and credit to the guys they just gave it their all,” Reyes added after the Tropang Giga positioned themselves for a crack at a second straight title after winning the season-opening Governors’ Cup.
Controversial big man Poy Erram was instrumental in the thrilling escape, scoring 10 of his 14 points in the fourth quarter on top of an excellent defensive job down the stretch.
Erram, who had a verbal spat with Reyes in Game 5 and got whistled with three quick fouls at the start of the equalizer, pushed TNT’s lead to 85-80 with just 16 seconds left with a pair of charities.
Ginebra guard Scottie Thompson gave the Tropang Giga a scare with a bankshot triple to make it a two-point game. TNT import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson missed two straight free throws but still got the offensive rebound after Erram tapped the ball towards him in a tough rebound play.
Hollis-Jefferson scored 29 points and grabbed 13 rebounds with six assists and three steals. Rey Nambatac added 23 points while Calvin Oftana chipped in 14 markers and eight rebounds for TNT, who played inspired with injured veteran Jayson Castro watching the game live since sustaining a season-ending knee injury during the semifinals.
The third quarter turned into a tug-of-war with no team letting the other gain an inch.
It got more exciting at the end of period after Stephen Holt drilled a trey to push Ginebra in front, 62-59, with eight seconds left only for Nambatac to hit a four-pointer at the buzzer for TNT’s one-point lead heading into the payoff period.
Japeth Aguilar fueled Ginebra in the first two quarters, scoring 11 points, highlighted by a couple of rim-rattlers. The Kings were on target from the field, shooting 47 percent, including 3-of-6 from the trifecta.
The Kings’ defense kept the opening half to a low-scoring game, holding down the Tropang Giga to just 35 percent field goal shooting.
TNT relied on its outside shooting in the first two cantos, connecting eight triples, including six in the opening period, to keep pace with the Kings’ relentless assault.
No team led by more than six in the first half, with the Kings taking a 39-33 lead after nailing a three-pointer with 1:16 remaining in the second.
Oftana answered with his fourth triple of the half before Nambatac followed it up with a basket. Scottie Thompson responded with a triple as time expired to give Ginebra a 42-38 advantage entering the halftime break.
Justin Brownlee paced the Kings with 22 points and seven boards but also committed seven of the team’s 18 turnovers. RJ Abarrientos and Thompson finished with 12 points while Aguilar and Holt got 11 each.
The scores:
TNT (87) — Hollis-Jefferson 29, Nambatac 23, Oftana 14, Erram 14, Khobuntin 4, Pogoy 3, Heruela 0, Aurin 0, Williams 0.
GINEBRA (83) — Brownlee 22, Thompson 12, Abarrientos 12, J. Aguilar 11, Holt 11, Malonzo 6, Rosario 6, Ahanmisi 3.
QUARTERS: 22-22, 38-42, 63-62, 87-83.