GINEBRA set a franchise record by sinking 18 three-point shots in its 117-103 victory in Game 3 last Friday, leading many to believe the Kings will pick up from where they left off in Game 4.
But TNT had other things in mind.
Giving the Kings a dose of their own medicine, the Tropang Giga shot back by unloading 21 three-pointers, a PBA finals’ all-time single high, on the way to a 116-104 victory that tied the Governors’ Cup title battle at 2-2, reducing the best-of-7 match into a best-of-three.
TNT coach Jojo Lastimosa said all they did was to go back to what they do best — sinking those long toms.
“We know that if Rondae (Hollis-Jefferson) is there as a screener, and we have proper spacing, and we got shooters in the corners, we know that we’re going to get shots. The problem with our last game was our spacing was bad,” Lastimosa said.
The Tropang Giga went 21-for 43 from beyond the arc for an outstanding 48% shooting clip and 51.2% overall, taking the momentum going into Game 5 this Wednesday also at the Big Dome.
Before a crowd of over 16,000, newly-minted best import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson led the way for TNT with 36 points and got the needed help from his teammates, among them Calvin Oftana who had 16, veteran Jayson Castro (17), and back-up guard Kib Montalbo (16).
“We had to go back to our three-point shooting,” said Lastimosa. “We know that if Rondae (Hollis-Jefferson) is there as a screener, and we have proper spacing, and we got shooters in the corners, we know that we’re going to get shots. The problem with our last game was our spacing was bad.”
With gunner Roger Pogoy out with a fractured finger, Lastimosa knew they needed all the help his charges can provide and heaped praises on the guys who delivered.
“Jayson (Castro) was huge tonight,” he said. “Even Glenn (Khobuntin, who had 8 points) was hitting his shots.
“Calvin just had a lot of looks tonight,” Lastimosa said of Oftana, who bounced back from a five-point game in Game 3 by going 4-of-6 on triples.
“And it just stemmed from our spacing. And of course, it helps that Calvin played a lot of minutes too. He had a lot of opportunities. He actually turned down a lot of shots tonight too. And he kept on faking. I told him, ‘You fake, you can’t shoot.’ So, finally he did. And even the other shots, he forced it, but it went in. If it’s your night, it’s your night.”
Kings coach Tim Cone was clearly not pleased with the defensive effort his charges came up with, simply saying: “It’s a series, we’re tied, now it becomes a best of three. We just played badly. We didn’t start the game well, we didn’t defend, we didn’t rebound. It was quite disappointing and in many levels embarrassing, but like I said, it’s a series, so, you know, we’ll get ready for Wednesday.”