With hearts still heavy, TNT ties up Finals series vs Ginebra

TNT’s Jordan Heading goes for a layup against Barangay Ginebra’s Justin Brownlee in Game 4 of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals.–PBA IMAGES

Jordan Heading made sure he would not start talking about TNT’s Game 4 victory over Barangay Ginebra in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals without reflecting on the tragic passing of two members of the Ateneo men’s basketball program.

“I want to take the time to give love to the families of Rene and Divine. That played heavily on our minds,” Heading said after dropping 29 points in the 106-98 win before 16,000 fans at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

As with the whole basketball community, the Tropang 5G were heartbroken by the deaths of promising Rene Baterbonia and foreign student athlete Divine Adili due to a “drowning incident” at a team activity in Aurora earlier in the week.

The tragedy also hit TNT the hardest, given that it shares the facilities of Moro Lorenzo Gym inside the Ateneo campus with the Blue Eagles.

Surreal

Coach Chot Reyes had posted an Instagram story on the eve of the game, expressing how “surreal” it was not bumping into Adili, the Nigerian who saw action for Ateneo the last two UAAP seasons.

“It was really surreal without Divine’s ‘Good morning, Coach’ greeting,” Reyes said. “So, really glad that Jordan brought it up because he’s right, that was something that we discussed yesterday.”

Heading also had six rebounds and eight assists.

Import Chris McCullough also delivered key baskets late to end up having 24 points, 14 rebounds, five assists and two blocks as TNT reduced the championship series to a virtual best-of-three.

Jayson Castro, Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser and Henry Galinato also stepped up to help TNT atone for the woes during its Game 3 loss last Sunday.

Castro scored 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting, Ganuelas-Rosser had 10 points and eight rebounds, while Galinato added five points and four rebounds.

Coronation spoiled

The win spoiled a night of coronation for Justin Brownlee and RJ Abarrientos, who were named Best Import and Best Player of the Conference, respectively, prior to tip-off.

Brownlee scored 32 points after leading Ginebra’s rally from 18 down, one that eventually fell short. Abarrientos had 21 for the Gin Kings.

But Game 3 hero Stephen Holt was held to only five points, while Scottie Thompson only got four points on 2-of-8 shooting.

Brownlee won his fourth Best Import award and, at 38, topped his previous record as the oldest to ever take home the citation.

Abarrientos, meanwhile, totaled 1,147 points, bolstered by first-place finishes in both the media and player voting. He received 592 points from the media and 93 from players, while adding 462 statistical points.

NLEx star Robert Bolick, who led the statistical race with 483 points, finished second overall with 804 points. San Miguel Beer’s June Mar Fajardo, who had 480 statistical points, placed third with 573.