For the second straight game, the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals between the TNT Tropang Giga and Barangay Ginebra San Miguel went down the wire. Only this time, it was the Tropa, specifically guard Rey Nambatac, that ended up making the big plays as they escaped with an 87-85 thriller in a packed PhilSports Arena to go in front of the series, 2-1.
Nambatac played hero for TNT in Game 3, firing 24 points on top of 5 rebounds and 7 assists. He also nailed the marginal three—a corner jumper from a mad scramble with time down to 30 seconds. Nambatac, who earlier admitted he was pressured after Jayson Castro got injured, went 5-for-7 from downtown and looked like a very solid approximation of TNT’s injured superstar.
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson played a supporting role to Nambatac this time, finishing with 20 points on an efficient 8-for-14 clip from the field while adding 11 rebounds and 8 assists. Calvin Oftana chipped in 16 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists and grabbed 2 crucial offensive rebounds that ultimately led to Nambatac’s go-ahead triple.
Ginebra Loses Justin Brownlee But Fights On Amid Rey Nambatac Heroics
Ginebra actually started off strong, building as much as a 46-37 advantage in the second quarter behind the hot shooting of Justin Brownlee and RJ Abarrientos. The Barangay would go on to intermission ahead, 48-42, only for TNT to wax hot early in the third to wipe out Ginebra’s lead.
But with the crowd favorites still ahead, 58-56, at the 6: 53 mark of the third, the tenor of the game—and likely the series—turned when Brownlee hurt his hand diving for a loose ball. From that point on, Ginebra played all-Filipino, and the Tropa pounced right away, retaking the lead before ending the third ahead, 72-66.
Even without Brownlee, Ginebra still fought back valiantly, even getting the lead back, 77-74, after a triple from Abarrientos and a long two from Maverick Ahanmisi. But a corner triple from Poy Erram tied things up at 77, setting up the furious end game that TNT ultimately won.
Brownlee had 19 points, 4 rebounds, and 6 assists at the time of his injury, which reports indicate is a dislocated right thumb. Scottie Thompson tried to fill in for JB, finishing with 15 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block. Abarrientos added 13 off the bench, while Troy Rosario scored the same number of points.
The scores:
TNT (87) – Nambatac 24, Hollis-Jefferson 20, Oftana 16, Khobuntin 10, Pogoy 8, Erram 5, Aurin 4, Williams 0, Heruela 0Ginebra (85) – Brownlee 19, Thompson 15, Rosario 13, Abarrientos 13, Malonzo 11, J.Aguilar 6, Holt 5, Ahanmisi 3
