PBA Finals: Tireless Hollis-Jefferson unfazed by heavy minutes in Game 1

TNT import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson in Game 1 of the PBA Governors’ Cup Finals against Ginebra.–PBA IMAGES

MANILA, Philippines—From the opening tip to the final buzzer, defending champion TNT leaned on import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson in Game 1 of the PBA Governors’ Cup Finals against rival Ginebra Sunday night.

Hollis-Jefferson logged a game-high 45 minutes and 46 seconds, a heavy amount of playing that would leave most huffing and puffing out of fatigue.

But the former NBA veteran showed he’s built differently than most.

READ: PBA Finals: Brownlee, Ginebra struggle vs TNT defense in Game 1

“I have to rest at the end. I’m not worried about it,” said a beaming Hollis-Jefferson, who looked like he could still play more after their 104-88 win in the PBA Finals opener. “I’m still young. I’m 29 and I know how to take care of my body.”

Hollis-Jefferson finished with a double-double of 19 points and 10 rebounds that went with four assists and three blocks.

Hollis-Jefferson also played a key role in the Tropang Giga’s superb defensive effort that limited the Gin Kings’ high-octane offense below 90 points on 39 percent from the field.

“I think for us since the beginning of the season, we’ve always been a defensive-first team. That’s where we take our pride from,” he said.

“It just so happened that we had guys making shots and the right reads and things just fell into place for us.”

READ: PBA Finals: TNT rolls past Ginebra in Game 1

Hollis-Jefferson led the way but he didn’t have to beat a formidable Ginebra side single-handedly.

TNT’s backcourt duo of Rey Nambatac and Jayson Castro also played instrumental roles in the victory with 18 and 14 points, respectively, while the Tropang Giga’s other reliable veterans Poy Erram and Roger Pogoy also stepped up.

Erram contributed 15 points on 6-of-6 shooting from the field while Pogoy chipped in 12.

Hollis-Jefferson and the Tropang Giga have no plans of slowing down as they shoot for a commanding 2-0 series lead on Wednesday at Araneta Coliseum.

“I watched this one Kobe video where he said, ‘no rest in the middle, rest in the end,’” Hollis-Jefferson said.