Game today:
(Smart Araneta Coliseum)
7:30 p.m. — TNT vs Ginebra
Game 1 was wild.
Expect Game 2 to be fiercer.
Barangay Ginebra braces for a much more aggressive and determined defending champion TNT when they meet for the second time in the best-of-seven Philippine Basketball Association Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup finals series today at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Kings escaped by the skin of their teeth in the series opener, all thanks to the game-winning jumper by Justin Brownlee with just 0.6 seconds remaining for a 102-100 thriller Wednesday night at the same Cubao venue.
Ginebra head coach Tim Cone sees more of the same in the 7:30 p.m. encounter, as well as for the rest of the title rematch, judging by how the two proud franchises disputed Game 1.
“I don’t know, six more of these, I don’t know if I can make six more of these. If they’re all going to be like this, it’s going to be a tough series to stay healthy in,” Cone said.
Ginebra blew an 18-point third-quarter lead and raced TNT neck-and-neck to the finish.
RJ Abarrientos buried back-to-back four-pointers to give the Kings a 100-97 advantage before RR Pogoy answered with a booming triple to tie the count with 10 ticks left, which got the 11,447-strong crowd up on their feet.
Resident import Brownlee, just like many times before, rose to the occasion by nailing the biggest basket of the game with a Jordanesque fadeaway banker over Tropang 5G counterpart Chris McCullough.
Cone is brewing up crucial adjustments after TNT pounded Ginebra inside the paint for 44 points and took advantage of their control of the boards, leading to 18 second-chance points.
“Obviously, they found some things they could attack. They attacked us in the post. They were trying to spread out and attack us,” Cone said.
It was a painful loss for TNT but head coach Chot Reyes and his crew are not dwelling on the lost opportunity. The Tropang 5G are now focused on equalizing in a quick turnaround.
“That’s how it is. It’s a long series. We just need to move forward and make adjustments for Game 2,” Tropang 5G forward Calvin Oftana said.
TNT, actually, had a chance to send the game to overtime after Brownlee’s basket.
Oftana, however, missed an alley-oop layup from Jordan Heading at the buzzer in the perfectly drawn play but felt there should’ve been a foul called on Brownlee.