TNT is back-to-back PBA Governors’ Cup champion

By Robert Andaya

Sweeter the 10th time around for TNT Tropang Giga.

With  two-time Best Import winner Rondae Hollis-Jefferson leading the way as usual,  TNT finished off  Barangay Ginebra, 95-85,  to retain the PBA Governors’ Cup crown before a wildly-cheering Friday night  crowd of over 14,000 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The Tropang Giga, who captured the championship against the same team last year, wrapped up the scheduled best-of-seven title series , 4-2.

The Tropang Giga also defeated the Gin Kings,  104-88, in Game 1;  96-84 in  Game 2 and 99-72 in Game 5.

It was the 10th title for the leading  MVP Group of Companies franchise since  joining the league in 1990.

It was also the sweetest, as some long-time PBA analysts say.

Hollis Jefferson, who was also voted as  “Best Import of the Conference”, personally led the Tropang Giga as he  came through with solid numbers of 31 points, 16 rebounds and eight assists.

The win was a vindication of sorts for  Hollis-Jefferson, whose team Jordan Lost to Gilas Pilipinas  and  long-time rival Justin Browlee in the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.

Veterans Jayson  Castro, RR Pogoy and  Rey Nambatac also finished with 12 points or more in TNT’s  series-clinching victory.

Castro was named as Finals MVP — the third time in his career and his first in 13 years.

Pogoy matched Castro’s production with 13 points, including a  three-pointer that broke the hearts of the GinKings with under a minute left.

TNT coach Chot Reyes also captured  his 10th PBA crown, including championships with Purefoods/Coney Island and Coca-Cola.

It was also  Reyes’ first championship with TNT since coming back to the team last season  and  his first Governors’ Cup title. 

“I would like to give credit to Coach Tim  (Cone) and the entire Ginebra organization. It was a hell of a series, especially this last Game 6. Coach Tim made a lot of adjustments at the start, great coaching moves at the start,” said Reyesin a post-game interview 

Rookie  sensation RJ Abarrientos was the  brightest spot for Ginebra as he  exploded for a career-high 31 points, including 18 points in the second quarter alone.

Brownlee, Ginebra’s most trusted man on both ends of the floor,  finished with  16 points, six rebounds, and four assists. 

But Brownlee, who  won four of his six championships in the Governors’ Cup, has now lost the last two editions to Hollis-Jefferson and TNT.

The popular Gilas Pilipinas naturalized player  also failed to win  his seventh title, which would have made him the winningest import in PBA history. 

Earlier,  Thompson accomplished his first-ever PBA Career Achievement Award as he  grabbed a total of 2,000 defensive rebounds during the Governors’ Cup finals between Barangay Ginebra and TNT.

The former MVP completed the feat in Game 4 of the title series when he bagged two rebounds defensively to bring his career total to 2,001.

The  31-year-old product of Perpetual Help University became the fastest guard in 42 years to achieve the milestone after fellow Ginebra legend Robert Jaworski did the feat on July 6, 1982 in his 381st game.

Thompson achieved the career mark in his 385th game.

The Barangay Ginebra guard was recognized for his achievement Wednesday night at halftime of Game 5 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial personally awarded the specially crafted plaque together with Board Chairman Ricky Vargas, San Miguel Corporation (SMC) Sports Director Alfrancis Chua, San Miguel team governor Robert Non, and NLEX counterpart Ronald Dulatre.

The scores:

TNT (95)—Hollis-Jefferson 31, Castro 13, Pogoy 13, Nambatac 12, Oftana 8, Khobuntin 7, Aurin 5, Williams 4, Erram 2, Exciminiano 0.

Ginebra (85)—Abarrientos 31, Brownlee 16, Holt 12, Ahanmisi 9, J.Aguilar 8, Thompson 6, Cu 3, Mariano 0, Pinto 0.

Quarterscores : 21-16, 42-43, 63-74, 95-85