PBA Finals: TNT takes first of two chances to send Ginebra packing

TNT Tropang Giga in the PBA Governors’ Cup Finals against Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

LIVE: PBA Finals Ginebra vs TNT Game 6 November 8

Poy Erram was heading back to the TNT dugout following a lopsided Game 5 victory that put the Tropang Giga one step away from repeating as champions of the PBA Governors’ Cup when a Barangay Ginebra fan couldn’t help but shout at the veteran center.

“Iyakin (crybaby)!” the fan hollered at Erram, who just flashed a wide grin while giving high fives to his teammates to savor the Tropang Giga’s 99-72 rout of the Gin Kings on Wednesday night at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

READ: PBA Finals: Tim Cone admits Ginebra got ‘little too satisfied’

“Our goal was to be aggressive,” said Erram, labeled as such after painful playoff defeats in the past. “We also kept our focus on ourselves, not on the referees or the crowd.”

Despite blowing a 2-0 series lead, Erram and the Tropang Giga are within a win of having the last laugh, getting two chances of doing so starting with the 7:30 p.m. sixth game at the Big Dome on Friday.

Staying composed will be one of the keys for TNT to win a second straight title and 10th overall, together with countering what Ginebra will be doing in its quest to stay alive and force a deciding Game 7 on Sunday at Ynares Center in Antipolo City.

READ: PBA Finals: ‘No excuses’ for Ginebra after crushing Game 5 loss

Ginebra played flat all throughout Game 5 as TNT raced to a 9-2 start behind seven points from old hand Kelly Williams, before the Tropang Giga took advantage of cold Ginebra shooting to take a 56-33 lead at the break.

Brownlee career-low

Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings import Justin Brownlee during the PBA Governors’ Cup Finals. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

Justin Brownlee was held to a PBA career-low eight points, the first time the resident reinforcement and perhaps Ginebra’s heart and soul failed to breach double figures in his career.

Coach Tim Cone eventually decided to rest Brownlee early in the second half when he felt a comeback wasn’t in his charges anymore.

READ: PBA Finals: ‘Winning instincts’ show up for Calvin Oftana in Game 5

“It doesn’t matter if we lost by one point, or we lost by 30. Bottom line is we lost,” lamented Cone, who despite the disappointment insists that bouncing back remains likely regardless of the final score.

“I know our fans feel bad about it, our team feels bad about [it], but the bottom line is, it’s just one game in the series,” he added.

Also shut down

Stephen Holt had a quiet outing and Maverick Ahanmisi was nonexistent after the two played important roles in Games 3 and 4. Rookie RJ Abarrientos once again struggled.

But TNT’s Chot Reyes, looking to become the fourth coach in PBA history to win 10 championships, joining Cone, Baby Dalupan and Norman Black, remains wary of what Ginebra can be capable of.

“[Brownlee] had an off-night, but we know that will not persist in the next game,” Reyes said. “And coach Tim already rested him early, kind of preparing him for a one-step-backward, two-steps-forward attack. So we just have to be ready.

“We know he (Brownlee) is going to come out [hard in Game 6], as well as the whole Ginebra team,” Reyes went on. “We just need to make sure that we stay on our toes, and be prepared for a big Ginebra fightback in the next game.”

And if the Tropang Giga can continue to have veterans like Williams and Jayson Castro stepping up, there’s a high probability that the Governors’ Cup trophy would be lifted and confetti will fly around the Big Dome by the time the final buzzer is sounded.

“We just have to come out with a sense of urgency,” Reyes said.