TNT repeats over Ginebra to retain its PBA Governors’ Cup crown

TNT Tropang Giga celebrate their second straight PBA Governors’ Cup championship over Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

TNT, buoyed by its veterans, put out one fire after another on Friday night to take down Barangay Ginebra, 95-85, and keep its lofty perch in the PBA Governors’ Cup.

The Tropang Giga completed their repeat, beating the crowd darlings in Game 6 before 14,668 screaming fans at Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.

Article continues after this advertisement

Import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson helped TNT out of an 85-all deadlock in the fourth period, scoring four points as the locals–led by Jayson Castro and Roger Pogoy–starved the Gin Kings of the offense that kept them in the thick of things earlier in the contest.

RESULTS: PBA Finals Ginebra vs TNT Game 6 November 8

Rondae Hollis Jefferson leads TNT Tropang Giga to another championship over Barangay Ginebra in PBA Governors’ Cup. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

“It took a lot of belief from top to bottombelieving that we could do it. All the work we put in, it paid off,” said ” said the American forward, who also helped the club in the run-up to the title during the previous edition of the tournament.

Article continues after this advertisement

“Chot (Reyes) said we didn’t come this far just to get this far. We got the championship and we’re excited.”

Hollis-Jefferson finished with 31 points, 16 rebounds and eight assists to fulfill his earlier promise of helping TNT to a successful title defense after tabbing the Best Import award earlier in the championship series.

TNT now has 10 championships throughout its PBA existence.

READ: Rondae Hollis-Jefferson embraces boos in PBA Finals: ‘I love it’

Castro and Pogoy had 13 each in the clincher, with the former emerging as the PBA Press Corps-Honda Finals Most Valuable Player with averages of 10.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 5.1 assists.

Rey Nambatac chipped in 12 points to finally win his first PBA title while Calvin Oftana added eight.

“It’s a good championship, and now we go on to the next one,” Reyes said, but not without tipping his hat to a Ginebra side he called “a worthy opponent.”

Reyes now has 10 PBA crowns under his belt.

Rookie RJ Abarrientos had 31 points in his finest outing this series. Justin Brownlee had 14 while Stephen Holt 12 as the Gin Kings fumbled a chance to send the series to a thrilling you-or-me that would’ve been played this Sunday at Ynares Center in Antipolo City.