Masterclass performance

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GINEBRA rising star Stephen Holt seemingly broke the ankle of veteran playmaker Jayson Castro of defending champion TNT with a dazzling crossover move that led to a wide-open drive last Sunday night.

That play was worthy of a highlight reel—except that Holt missed the layup with 4:49 left and the Kings trailing 77-91.

In the ensuing TNT offensive attack, reigning best import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson gamely posted up Ginebra wingman Ralph Cu, found a cutting Kim Aurin at the freeline line who then spotted Glenn Khobuntin from the left corner for a booming three-pointer.

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Those plays summed up pretty much what transpired in the Chot Reyes-mentored side’s 104-88 victory over the Kings in Game 1 of their best-of-7 finals duel for the PBA Governors’ Cup crown.

“They make those calls. We really don’t run too many plays. We read and react, and we look for advantages in the game,” Reyes said. “I always tell the players— they are the strategy.

“Whatever happens inside the court, they will be the ones to make the adjustment. Sila iyong mag-a-adjust, sila iyong magpi-pivot, sila iyong magka-counter,” he added.

The emphatic win carved out before a record 11,021 fans who showed up at the Ynares Center in Antipolo gave TNT a 1-0 head start in the race-to-4 series, thanks mainly to the Tropang Giga’s vaunted defense that forced the usually on-target Ginebra crew to shoot bricks to the dismay of the Kings’ supporters who came in droves.

“There’s no secret to our game, it’s really our defense,” Reyes said, whose charges held Ginebra to a paltry 2-of-21 shooting from deep, its lowest scoring output in the playoffs of the season-opening tilt.

Hollis-Jefferson notched 19 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, one steal, and three blocks for TNT while Rey Nambatac, in his debut in the Big Dance added 18 markers, 10 boards, and seven dimes.

JP Erram, Jayson Castro, and Roger Pogoy also had 15, 14, and 12 points, respectively, for the Tropang Giga.

Reyes also has the luxury of having veterans who showed leadership savvy for his team.

“That’s why they are there, they are the veterans, and they know what to do in these situations,” he said. “As veterans, it is their job to stabilize and take advantage of opportunities, and Jayson saw that opportunity in the third quarter.

“It’s not only the points they scored but on the other things they do also. Poy played tremendous defense because one of the things to work on is keeping them (Kings) off the glass because they are such a good offensive rebounding team.”

Whether its runaway triumph in the opening tiff of the title battle is a fluke will be known in Game 2 set tomorrow at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

At least in one night, TNT’s big crowd that wore bright yellow shirts and banners had the last laugh. The ball is now on Ginebra’s court.

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