The PBA Commissioner’s Cup is down to two teams—TNT Tropang Giga and Barangay Ginebra San Miguel. Yes, it’s TNT vs. Ginebra for all the marbles again after they dispatched of the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters and NorthPort Batang Pier, respectively, via the so-called gentleman’s sweep.
TNT Proves Steadier Down the Stretch Again in Dispatching Rain or Shine
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson fired 42 points on top of 11 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 blocks to power the TNT Tropang Giga to a 97-92 victory over the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters.
The Best Import favorite went 15-for-26 from the field and 11-for-14 from the foul line and simply took over the fourth. RHJ scored 16 of his 42 in the final 12 minutes, including the jumper that gave TNT a 78-77 lead—one it didn’t relinquish anymore thanks in part to Hollis-Jefferson’s efforts.
Calvin Oftana backstopped RHJ with 12 points and 11 rebounds, while Rey Nambatac added 12 points and 8 assists off the bench. RR Pogoy, Glen Khobuntin, and Kelly Williams also stepped up, combining for 25 points to give TNT enough firepower to put away Rain or Shine for good.
Deon Thompson once again carried the fight for the Elasto Painters with 34 points. Adrian Nocum fired 13 after his abysmal 4-point outing in Game 4 but again couldn’t deliver the goods in the fourth.
The Scores:
TNT (97) – Hollis-Jefferson 42, Nambatac 12, Oftana 12, Pogoy 9, Khobuntin 9,Williams 8, Aurin 3, Erram 2, Heruela 0, Galinato 0
Rain or Shine (92) – Thompson 34, Nocum 13, Caracut 10, Tiongson 8, Santillan 7, Lemetti 6, Mamuyac 5, Norwood 5, Ildefonso 4, Clarito 0, Datu 0, Asistio
Ginebra Routs NorthPort, Arranges Finals Rematch with TNT
Barangay Ginebra San Miguel was back to its dominant form, breaking down the NorthPort Batang Pier one quarter at a time en route to a resounding 126-99 triumph to book a seat in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals.
Justin Brownlee, RJ Abarrientos, and Jamie Malonzo all came up big for Ginebra, with Brownlee scattering 21 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals. Abarrientos, meanwhile, had 20 points, 4 rebounds, 10 assists, and 2 steals off the bench and was instrumental in putting the game away in the fourth. Malonzo added 20 points off the bench as well along with 8 rebounds.
Kadeem Jack led all scorers with 31 points as he once again carried the fight for the Batang Pier. Allyn Bulanadi chipped in a conference-high 26 points off the bench to help NorthPort get to within 17 points of Ginebra in the fourth quarter. Arvin Tolentino, who was hoping to lead the Batang Pier to three more wins, struggled this time, finishing with only 9 points on 2-for-13 shooting.
With the victory, the crowd darlings set up a highly anticipated TNT vs. Ginebra Finals rematch.
The Scores:
Ginebra (126) – Brownlee 21, Abarrientos 20, Malonzo 20, J. Aguilar 18, Thompson 14, Rosario 11, Ahanmisi 9, Holt 7, Mariano 2, Adamos 2, Pinto 2, Cu 0, Pessumal 0, R. Aguilar 0
NorthPort (99) – Jack 31, Bulanadi 26, Munzon 12, Taha 10, Tolentino 9, Navarro 9, Onwubere 2, Nelle 0, Flores 0
PBA Commissioner’s Cup: TNT vs. Ginebra for the Crown
The PBA Commissioner’s Cup takes a one-week break before the TNT vs. Ginebra Finals start on Friday, March 14, at the Mall of Asia Arena. Game time is set at 7:30 p.m.
Here’s the complete schedule of the TNT vs. Ginebra Finals:
