Seldom-used forward Jeremiah Gray, together with fellow reserves John Abis and Isaac Go, spearheaded a fourth-quarter comeback in Game 2 of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals. But Barangay Ginebra San Miguel’s last-ditch rally proved a little too late, as the TNT Tropang 5G ultimately pulled through behind big shots from Jordan Heading and Calvin Oftana.
A Better Start for Ginebra
For the former second overall pick of the Season 47 PBA Draft, the biggest takeaway from that Game 2 defeat is clear as day: don’t start out flat. Gray should know. He has been with Ginebra for four seasons now and was a mute witness to how the Tropa beat the Gin Kings in the three previous times they met in the Finals.
“The key is to just start the game better,” Gray told reporters in the aftermath of TNT’s 101-94 Game 2 win on Friday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. “Bring more fire, bring more energy, and just being more hungry throughout the whole game, and realize what we’re playing for. We lost the last three times against this team, so we just have to be a lot more hungry and come out and play a lot harder…”
In Game 2, Ginebra got off to a horrible start, falling behind by 15 after one and failing to build any momentum until about the midway mark of the final frame, when a seven-point cluster by Jeremiah Gray sparked that one final rally. That furious fightback ultimately fell short, but it might have given the Gin Kings some things to potentially explore moving forward—including a bigger role for the sweet-shooting Fil-Am.
Jeremiah Gray Stays Ready
For the most part, that kind of spirited effort Jeremiah Gray showed would warrant more minutes and an expanded role. But, even without any assurances, expect the former 3×3 standout to be ready whenever Tim Cone puts him in.
“Just try to get ready whenever my number’s called, be confident every shot I take, and do whatever the team needs,” Gray said. “It’s not always about finding your offensive rhythm. Basketball is about a lot more. I’m just gonna bring whatever the team needs, and hopefully it leads to a win.”
On Friday, Ginebra needed a spark. Jeremiah Gray’s long-range sniping provided some of it. He’ll try to be ready to do it again in Game 3.
