The last time the PBA held a Governors’ Cup, the TNT Tropang Giga emerged as the champions behind a high-powered offense led by the prolific Mikey Williams, the hot shooting of RR Pogoy, and the timely hits of Jason Castro. They also unveiled a gem of a newcomer import in Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, who turned out to be a Swiss Army knife-type of reinforcement, doing whatever the Tropa needed.
Now, two seasons later, TNT is back in the PBA Governors’ Cup finals and is four wins away from defending the title it won in Season 47. Only this time, the Tropang Giga used a slightly different formula: Suffocating defense and lots and lots of all-around brilliance from RHJ.
TNT Turns from Offensive Powerhouse to Defensive Demon
TNT’s longtime MO has always been a prolific offense predicated on the unrivaled shotmaking of Castro for the better part of the last decade and Williams in recent years. But with age slowing down, the Blur and Williams are out of the picture. Coach Chot Reyes seemed to know his team would have to rely more on defense for any reduction in firepower.
True enough, TNT’s offense regressed in the PBA Governors’ Cup, with the Tropa averaging just 94.5 points per game in the eliminations to finish 11th among 12 teams—barely ahead of the Terrafirma Dyip’s league-worst 94.1 markers. But the Tropang Giga kept winning anyway, mostly because they turned things up a notch on defense.
Actually, that might be a bit of an understatement. TNT did not just become a good defensive team; it became the PBA’s best on defense this Governors’ Cup, scuttling opposing offenses to a league-best 86.0 per game in the eliminations on less than 43% shooting from the field.
It was more of the same in the playoffs, with the Tropa holding down the fifth- and second-highest scoring teams of this conference—the NLEX Road Warriors and Rain or Shine Elasto Painters—to just 95.5 points and 91.2 markers, respectively, in the quarters and semis. Not for nothing that TNT pulled off consecutive gentleman’s sweeps, first dispatching NLEX 3-1 and then outclassing Rain or Shine 4-1.
Hollis-Jefferson Takes Charge
Aside from that stout defense, one thing that has been a constant for TNT has been the stellar play of Hollis-Jefferson, the PBA Governors’ Cup reigning Best Import. The former NBA player has picked up from where he left off in Season 47, showcasing once more his all-around brilliance with per-game averages of 27.1 points, 13.0 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 2.7 steals, and 1.8 blocks in the eliminations.
RHJ has been better in the playoffs, where he is so far averaging 28.9 points, 12.8 boards, 6.6 assists, 3.2 steals, and 1.7 swats. At times, RHJ has been a one-man wrecking crew, practically willing TNT to victory, as he did in the Tropa’s Game 1 victory over NLEX (45 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists) and in their Game 4 win against Rain or Shine (23 points, 19 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 steals, 5 blocks), where he got the game-winning dunk, a game-saving block, and a game-sealing rebound.
A Championship Is Within Reach—Again
Indeed, Hollis-Jefferson is locked in and that defense is seemingly becoming more and more impenetrable. TNT, though, still has that proverbial ace in its sleeves in that potentially explosive offense, which has largely been kept in check this conference. But with Castro, Calvin Oftana, RR Pogoy, and the suddenly reliable Rey Nambatac, TNT has the firepower to still put points on the board. When that offense finally catches up with that defense, the Tropa might be close to unbeatable.
For the meantime, TNT is hoping to get healthy before the finals, as Castro is nursing a tender calf, as is veteran big Kelly Williams, while Nambatac jammed his finger in the Tropa’s Game 5 closeout of Rain or Shine. Other than injury woes potentially derailing TNT’s championship hopes, the Tropang Giga is certainly looking primed to win back-to-back PBA Governors’ Cup titles.
