PBA Finals: Banged up RHJ keeps perfect title record with TNT

PBA: Banged up and in pain, RHJ keeps perfect title record with TNT

/ 05:26 PM April 01, 2025

TNT Tropang Giga's Rondae Hollis Jefferson wins his third PBA championship.

TNT Tropang Giga’s Rondae Hollis Jefferson wins his third PBA championship. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—He may not have been bandaged up, but  TNT import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson also played through pain in Game 7 of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals with a banged-up body.

Instead of celebrating with the Tropang Giga, Hollis-Jefferson could barely walk after powering TNT to its second-straight PBA title at the expense of Ginebra in overtime, 87-83, at Araneta Coliseum on Friday.

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In fact, the three-time Best Import couldn’t grant an interview with the media without having to sit down as he deals with pain in his abdomen.

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READ: RHJ and JB, the gallant and wounded, get needed breathers

“From the last game when I ran into the speakers, I hit in between my ribcage. Obviously, I’m no doctor, I can’t tell what’s going on exactly, but it feels like a hernia because it’s connected to my groin,” said a hurt RHJ.

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“At the end, my abdomen was locking, at the same time, my groin was locking too so I couldn’t really move my leg so I needed to sit down.”

In the first half of Game 6, Hollis-Jefferson accidentally hit the scorer tables’ LED and speakers equipment on his way to stop a Ginebra fast break.

Rondae Hollis Jefferson in PBA Commissioner's Cup Finals Game 6 after crashing into the LED board.

Rondae Hollis Jefferson in PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals Game 6 after crashing into the LED board. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

Almost immediately, RHJ crumbled to the floor, urging TNT to call time.

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The the former NBA journeyman returned to the hardwood after the timeout nursing immense pain, and that kept stinging until Game 7 of the series and it was evident.

READ: PBA: RHJ, Arvin Tolentino win Best Import, Best Player awards

Usually playing all 48 minutes, Hollis-Jefferson occasionally took a breather in the fourth quarter and even in overtime while obviously wincing in pain and holding his stomach.

In the end, though, RHJ showed his true warrior’s mentality, finishing with a monster game of 25 points and 12 rebounds when the Tropang Giga needed it the most.

“They were celebrating there [in the locker room] and I was just sitting down. It hurts,” he said.

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“I’m banged up but I’m sure they’re banged up as well. I told myself I won’t make any excuses so I just tried my best.”

Much like RHJ, Brownlee also played with a hurt thumb  for Ginebra but when the dust settled, it was Hollis-Jefferson who won his third championship in the PBA.

TAGS: PBA Finals, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, TNT Tropang Giga

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