TNT Tropang Giga veteran Kelly Williams during the PBA Governors’ Cup Finals against Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
There had been plenty of heroes for TNT in its bid to keep its lofty perch in the PBA Governors’ Cup, but nobody has been as impressive as how Kelly Williams played such a role in the Game 5 rout that had the Tropang Giga at the cusp of a repeat.
Williams, the 2008 Most Valuable Player, started for the telco club and then put up 11 points and three rebounds in the 99-72 conquest of Barangay Ginebra—a commendable outing for someone who has been playing sparingly in the finalé and a player who is way past his athletic prime at 42 years old.
Coach Chot Reyes expectedly heaped praises on his old reliable who has helped the franchise to seven PBA crowns. And so did Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, the two-time Best Import who served alongside Williams during the run-up to the 2023 Governors’ Cup championship run.
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“You know, Kelly, he’s very important to the team—not only for his ability but also his experience. His leadership? We needed that,” he said.
“Coach Chot (Reyes) believed in Kelly, putting him in the starting lineup, saying ‘Let’s go, you’re gonna take us to the Promised Land.’ And he did good. I’m proud of him,” the American forward added.
Williams was hardly a presence for TNT in the first four meetings, accounting for just 1.75 points and 2.5 rebounds. But he was easily one of the biggest reasons why the Tropang Giga, on Wednesday night, moved a win away from pulling off a successful title defense.
READ: PBA Finals: TNT rebounds with Ginebra demolition for 3-2 lead
“All I can say is it’s the team, its coach. They know I’ve been struggling on and off the court and they just really rallied around me,” said the Filipino-American veteran.
“That gave me a lot of confidence and fuel to make sure that I come in focused and do whatever the team needs to do to get a win. Like I said, they rallied around me. But really it’s just the team, guys coming off the bench.”
Williams is shaping up as an integral part of TNT in trying to land the finishing blow in Game 6 which is being played as of press time.
But having done this many times in the past, Williams was a bit level-headed when asked about his team’s chances.
“Stay together. Stay focused. Stay humble,” he said when asked about what TNT had to do in order to keep the series from going to a nerve-racking Game 7. “Whatever happens, we have to make sure we stay together because that’s all we can control—our effort .”