Barangay Ginebra San Miguel leaned on the heroics of RJ Abarrientos and Justin Brownlee to eke out a pulsating 102‑100 win over the TNT Tropang 5G in Game 1 of their PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals.
Reeling after TNT seemingly seized control at 95‑90, Ginebra nonetheless crawled back thanks to a pair of four‑pointers from Abarrientos, a game‑winner from Brownlee, and one final defensive stand that TNT believes merited a foul.
Abarrientos Preaches Defense
Despite that endgame flourish, Abarrientos threw caution to the wind, noting how that hot shooting to end Game 1 is unsustainable. And that, according to the reigning Rookie of the Year, is why Ginebra must make it a point to level up their defense.
“Not sustainable. ‘Yung ginawa namin kanina nung fourth quarter is not sustainable,” Abarrientos told Rebanse after Game 1. “Sabi ko nga kanina nung interview [postgame presser], kelangan namin mag‑dig deep sa depensa namin, especially me. We need to be really better sa depensa. So, ‘yun ‘yung kelangan ko tignan, kelangan namin tignan.”
Indeed, Ginebra’s defense faltered late, allowing TNT to score 56 points—28 apiece in the third and fourth quarters—in the second half after holding the Tropa to 19 in the second and 44 in the first 24 minutes of action.
Abarrientos in the Crosshairs of TNT
Interestingly, the reigning PBA Press Corps Player of the Week, was time and again the target of the Tropa’s offense. In fact, TNT involved the 5‑foot‑10 sophomore in five of its first six plays, with Rey Nambatac and RR Pogoy posting him up early and finding some success.
Nambatac also scored twice on Abarrientos down the stretch—one on a stepback trey that gave TNT a 91‑88 lead and again on a couple of free throws after drawing a foul on the former FEU Tamaraw.
Abarrientos, who will likely bag his first Best Player of the Conference award, ultimately got it all back with his four‑pointers, before Brownlee won it in regulation. But, as far as Ginebra’s starting point guard is concerned, Ginebra can ill afford to be in that same situation moving forward.
He might be right. And that is why he will surely need to get better defending the point of attack.
