By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.

THE first two games of this year PBA’s Governors Cup ‘best-of-seven’ championship series between reigning champion Ginebra Gin Kings and title contender TNT Tropang Giga were already held at Araneta Coliseum last April 9 and 12, respectively. As predicted by die-hard buffs of basketball, the Gin Kings convincingly took the first salvo, 102-90. Yes, we watched on TV how the boys of head coach Tim Cone orchestrated a suffocating defense against the TNT boys of head coach Jojo Lastimosa from the start up to the finish. It surprised and prompted the latter to commit miscues and misfires especially in the three-point area to lose by 12 points in the end.

TNT, noted as an offensive team in the league that propelled it to top the elimination rounds, did not work well this time for them and Lastimosa humbly acknowledged the cause of their setback. Record says, it was also the first time in this year’s Governors’ Cup that the TNT five were unable to seize any quarter lead during the game and also feebled to reach a century mark score unlike their plays in the eliminations, quarterfinals and semifinals en route to their championship assignment. Yes, credit to the Gin Kings stifling defense spearheaded by Scootie Thompson, Jamie Malonzo, Christian Standhardinger and Filipino naturalized Justine Brownlee.

Learning a big lesson from the loss in the first skirmish, coach Lastimosa found its new defensive pattern in the second battle engineered by one of their two imports Mikey Williams, centers Poy Erram, Glenn Khobuntin and Calvin Oftana. It effectively minimized the scoring of Gin Kings main-man Brownlee who was uncharacteristically blocked twice, misfired on a horrifying three out of 16 attempts to just score 12 points, his lowest ever in the league. TNT, noted as an offensive team but lost that stance in the first match, rediscovered this time its offensive rhythm spearheaded by their versatile import, the 28-year-old former NBA player Rondae Hollis-Jefferson who scored a team high 23 points, 19 rebounds and nine assists, that surprised and repulsed the Gin Kings by 13 marks. TNT led the half by 12 points, 51-39. Yes, what happened to TNT in the first game, failing to grab the lead in all quarters, happened also to the Gin Kings last Wednesday. In my previous column I picked the title-hungry TNT to win the tiara this year and hopefully, I’ll not be wrong. If TNT will be lucky, it will be its very first ever Governors’ Cup diadem since it joined the league. It will also be the first crown for former PBA player Lastimosa as head coach. Lastimosa temporarily replaces head coach Chot Reyes who was officially assigned to steer our national five for the coming Southeast Asian Games slated next month in Cambodia. In case the multi-titled Ginebra wins anew, it will be their third consecutive conquest of this tourney and their fifth Governors’ Cup title, tying their sister company San Miguel Beer record. Many say this Ginebra-TNT tussle is evenly matched and predicted to reach the seventh and final confrontation. Hopefully they’re right.
I’m making this article on Thursday (April 13) beating my deadline. So, by the time you read this piece, the third and fourth games (April 14 and 16) were already done. But for sure there will be fifth tiff on April 19.

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do accordingly to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous and then you will have good success. JOSHUA 1: 8

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