Out for big payback

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THE expected big crowd that will likely be mostly pro-Ginebra faithful look up to just one thing—the Kings redeeming themselves from a horrible showing in the opening match of the Big Dance.

Whether Ginebra can do it will be known when it squares off with defending champion TNT tonight in Game 2 of their best-of-7 finals battle for the PBA Governors’ Cup crown at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The match is set at 7:30 p.m. with the combatants’ sights trained on their respective targets.

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The Tropang Giga silenced the Kings’ usually reliable and fiery guns en route to a 104-88 victory in Game 1 last Sunday.

For Ginebra, star import and Gilas Pilipinas naturalized player Justin Brownlee said it best.

“TNT, they’re the best defensive team in this conference and it’s not going to be easy. Coach Tim (Cone) definitely explained that to us from the past week that we’ve been preparing,” Brownlee said. “They jumped the gun on us. We actually kind of got back into the game with a few runs, but every time we seemed to get a run and get into the game, they made big stops, big shots on offense.

“So, a well-deserved win for them. They came in and executed what they wanted to do and got the win.”

The Kings failed to hit the mark in the first tiff of the race-to-4 series with an atrocious 2-of-21 shooting from deep no thanks to TNT’s stifling defense.

Aside from Brownlee, the likes of former MVP Scottie Thompson, veteran big man Japeth Aguilar, Maverick Ahanmisi, Stephen Holt, and ace rookie RJ Abarrientos would be counted upon by Cone to stand in the forefront of their attempt to recover.

Despite the emphatic Game 1 win, Tropang Giga tactician Chot Reyes is under no illusion that Ginebra will shoot bricks anew.

“We hope that we can sustain it,” Reyes said. “It’s just one game. We know that Ginebra is going to come back and make their adjustments. We have to be prepared for Game 2.

“They are an outside shooting team. There are days when they will be going to be off. But that’s not going to be every day.”

Reigning best import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Rey Nambatac, Calvin Oftana, Roger Pogoy, Kim Aurin, Glenn Khobuntin, and veterans Jayson Castro and Kelly Williams will be relied upon by TNT to deliver anew.

 Like the rest of the Tropang Giga, Nambatac is not one to let his guard down.

“I think iyong mga kaunting lapses namin na puwedeng magbigay ng momentum sa kanila kasi iyon ang iniiwasan namin,” he said. “Knowing Ginebra kapag binigyan mo sila ng momentum, ng ganoong chances nag-all the way sila.”

Will it be a king-sized bounce back or will TNT make its signal stronger in this titular showdown?

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