MANILA, Philippines – End or extend?
After dealing Barangay Ginebra a soul-crushing 27-point Game 5 blowout, TNT goes for the kill, while the Gin Kings seek to fight another day as they go at it once more in Game 6 of the PBA Governors’ Cup finals at the Araneta Coliseum on Friday, November 8.
Please refresh this page for updates.
First quarter
- TNT 18-11: Kim Aurin sinks the baseline jumper
- TNT 16-11: Scottie Thompson attacks
- TNT 16-9: Poy Erram hauls down the offensive rebound and converts the short stab
- TNT 14-9: Rey Nambatac drops it off to Calvin Oftana
- TNT 12-9: Rey Nambatac counters
- TNT 10-9: Japeth Aguilar sinks the midrange jumper
- TNT 10-7: Rondae Hollis-Jefferson slams it home
- TNT 8-7: Justin Brownlee jumper is good
- TNT 8-5: Ralph Cu from deep
- TNT 8-2: Back-to-back hits for Rondae Hollis-Jefferson as he hits a triple
- TNT 5-2: Lefty layup for Rondae Hollis-Jefferson
- TNT 3-2: Rey Nambatac for three
- GINEBRA 2-0: Justin Brownlee breaks the scoring ice
Preview
Following back-to-back losses to the Gin Kings in Games 3 and 4, the Tropang Giga bounced back in style with a 99-72 Game 5 annihilation on Wednesday, November 6, for a pivotal 3-2 lead in their best-of-seven affair.
It was a defensive masterclass for TNT as it held Ginebra to its lowest scoring output in this playoffs, as well as the Gin Kings’ superstar import Justin Brownlee to his PBA career-low 8 points on 3-of-13 shooting.
Battling fatigue the whole series, Brownlee’s counterpart and Best Import of the Conference Rondae Hollis-Jefferson didn’t even have to play extended minutes and put up monster numbers as TNT essentially put Ginebra away as early as halftime with a 56-33 edge.
The Tropang Giga even led by as many as 36 points at one juncture of the ball game, 84-48, in front of 12,727 fans at the Big Dome.
However, TNT head coach Chot Reyes knows it won’t be another walk in the park for the Tropang Giga in Game 6 as he expects Brownlee and the rest of the Gin Kings to come out with guns blazing.
“We just need to be ready. We know [Brownlee’s] going to come out hard, as is the entire Ginebra team, so we just need to make sure that we stay on our toes and be prepared for a big Ginebra fightback in the next game,” said Reyes.
Will the Tropang Giga close out the series and capture their second straight Governors’ Cup title or will the Gin Kings stay alive and force a Game 7?
Game time is 7:30 pm. – Rappler.com