GAME TODAY
(PhilSports Arena, Pasig)
7:30 p.m. – TNT vs. Ginebra
AFTER the first two matches of the Big Dance and all the sizing up, it’s now time for the protagonists to make big adjustments.
That’s what Ginebra coach Tim Cone expects from TNT counterpart Chot Reyes—their foes will show up with better effort and game.
“We’ll see what happens in Game 3 if we can continue. RHJ (Rondae Hollis-Jefferson) is going to have an adjustment to it. Chot is one of the most brilliant adjustment coaches I’ve ever been around so, you know, there’s going to be an adjustment there,” Cone said.
“I think also that we have a chance to play a little better offensively. You know, we can shoot the ball a little bit better than we did,” he added.
Which team will gain a crucial lead will be known when the Kings tackle the Tropang Giga in Game 3 of their best-of-7 finals duel for the PBA Commissioner’s Cup title at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig.
The tiff is set at 7:30 p.m., with the winner gaining a 2-1 edge halfway through the race-to-4 series in the mid-season tilt.
TNT struck first with a 95-89 win in the opening clash Friday last week.
But Ginebra rebounded with a gripping 71-70 decision in the second collision last Sunday night to tie the showdown at 1-1.
One player Cone is hoping to go out of his shell is prized rookie playmaker RJ Abarrientos, who was handcuffed for a one-point outing in Game 2—a far cry from his 13 markers in the first tussle.
“We need to get RJ untracked. I think that’s really going to be important for us, to get RJ untracked offensively and if we can do that, then we can maybe squeak out another game in Game 3,” Cone said. “But it isn’t going to be a game that’s going to be in the 120s or 110s, 100s (points).
“This game is going to be one in the 90s and 80s, at most NS sometimes tonight, like the 70s.”
Star import Justin Brownlee, former MVP Scottie Thompson, Troy Rosario, Stephen Holt, Japeth Aguilar, and Abarrientos will be counted upon by the Kings.
“We definitely feel good about winning Game 2 and tying the series, but it’s still no satisfaction right now. You know, I think we just got to stay hungry, especially with, you know, the past history,” Brownlee said. “We know how good this team is, and they’ve beat us before, so fatigue is just something I’m trying not to worry about.
“If I’m tired, I just got to push through it, just like everybody else on the team. I think at this point, when you reach the finals, everybody gets a little fatigued and maybe has some aches and pains, but you can’t really think about those things. You just got to push through it.”
The Tropang Giga will pin their hopes on the likes of Hollis-Jefferson, Calvin Oftana, Roger Pogoy, JP Erram, and Kelly Williams.
This battle is fast-turning out to be a veritable epic chess match pitting two legendary pro league tacticians with equally formidable cagers—Game 3 should be another classic.
