TNT Tropang Giga’s Roger Pogoy during the PBA Governors’ Cup Finals Game 5 against Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines—TNT sniper RR Pogoy played the role of silencer for Tropang Giga, hushing the crowd darling Barangay Ginebra in the pivotal Game 5 win in the PBA Governors’ Cup Finals at Araneta Coliseum on Wednesday.
In an overall lopsided game where TNT annihilated Ginebra, 99-72, Pogoy hit big shots that sucked the life out of the Gin Kings favored crowd in the Big Dome.
“[Those shots were] very important,” said a beaming Pogoy in Filipino.
READ: PBA Finals: TNT rebounds with Ginebra demolition for 3-2 lead
“Throughout the Finals, I only had a few triples, few shots, so those shots added to my confidence and they’ll also help me stay ready for the next game.”
Doomed by a lackadaisical first half, Ginebra tried to mount multiple comeback rallies after TNT broke the game wide open.
However, Pogoy was always there to douse cold water on the Gin Kings’ flames, finishing with 16 points built on three triples and one from four-point territory.
While it took some time for Pogoy to finally get his bearings on offense for the Tropang Giga, it wasn’t easy for him to get there.
READ: PBA Finals: RR Pogoy the defender a big reason why TNT is leading
And it won’t be easier on Game 6, where TNT could either win the Governors’ Cup title for the second straight year or Ginebra could force a do-or-die Game 7.
“It’s really hard here. We knew that this wouldn’t be easy. Despite how I played today, I have to double it on the next one. We still need to improve,” he said.
“We really should look at ourselves. We shouldn’t do what we did in Games 3 and 4 where we relaxed too much and didn’t pass. Number one, however, is our defense.”
Tropang Giga looks to close out the series on Friday for Game 6 at the same venue.