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TNT secured a spot in the top four after handing Barangay Ginebra its worst beating under Tim Cone, 121-92, in the 2017 PBA Governors’ Cup Saturday night at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Glen Rice Jr. and Jayson Castro uncorked 12 3-pointers combined with the fiery import unleashing a flurry in the third quarter, where the KaTropa took the air out of the Gin Kings.
“We’ve always talked about everybody pitching in for us to be successful every game. I think today players were really focused on the task and they were all ready to contribute today,” said TNT head coach Nash Racela, whose squad became the first team to clinch a twice-to-beat advantage.
“It really helped us that we shot really, really well especially in the three-point area. When you shoot that way you really have a good chance winning ball games.”
Rice couldn’t miss in the third quarter. He hit four triples in a row in just a span of one minute and 36 seconds to stretch TNT’s lead to 20, 83-63, with 4:25 left.
TNT, which rose to 8-3, shot 17-of-40 from long range, hitting 10 triples in the second half.
Ginebra just couldn’t figure out how to slow down not only Rice and Castro but the entire TNT side, which also has the likes of Roger Pogoy, Troy Rosario and Kelly Williams stepping up.
Rice exploded for 36 points on top of nine rebounds while Castro had 28 points on 11-of-13 shooting from the field that went with four rebounds and seven assists.
Justin Brownlee scored 28 points and grabbed 14 rebounds to pace the Kings, who have held the top spot early in the conference but could still fall to as low as fifth place depending on the outcome of the last day of eliminations on Sunday.