PBA GOVS’ CUP FINALS: TNT shoots for crown; Ginebra eyes Game 7

Sports

Game today

(Araneta Coliseum)

Game 6, Best-of-7 Finals

TNT leads series, 3-2

7:30 p.m.- TNT vs. Barangay Ginebra

CORONATION or on to Game 7? This question will be answered on Friday night, November 8, when the defending champions TNT Tropang Giga and the Barangay Ginebra Kings clash in Game 6 of the 49th PBA Governors’ Cup Finals at the Araneta Coliseum.

Owing to a resounding 99-72 win in Game 6, the Tropa need just one more win to secure a second straight Governors’ Cup crown, leading the best-of-seven title series, 3-2.

Snapping a two-game skid, TNT was dominant in Game 5, never looking back after ending the first half with a 23-point lead. The Tropa broke the game wide open behind a blistering 30-13 run in the second quarter followed by another dizzying 23-15 attack in the third frame.

With TNT building several 30-point leads in the second half, head coach Chot Reyes had the luxury of resting his top guns especially import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, who has been logging heavy minutes in the series.

Hollis-Jefferson was one of the five TNT players who scored in double figures in Game 5 with 16 points.

Cebuano guard RR Pogoy also scored 16 markers for

TNT while Calvin Oftana, Kelly Williams, and Jayson Castro tossed 15, 11, and 10, respectively.

In contrast, Ginebra struggled to score points with only Scottie Thompson, LA Tenorio, and Stephen Holt wounding up in twin digits. Thompson and Tenorio tallied 13 markers each while Holt had 10.

Even the usual high-scoring import Justin Brownlee couldn’t find the bottom of the net as he just scored eight markers in the blowout loss.

The Kings have shown numerous times that they can rise from adversities that fans touted them as a “never-say-die” team. Ginebra, who has battled back from 0-2 deficit in the series by winning Games 3 and 4, need to showcase that character for them to force what could be an epic Game 7.(CCM)