Here are the players who made the biggest impact on May 24 and the stats to prove it.
TOP PERFORMERS OF THE DAY:
Jaylen Rashawn Johnson ROS C 23 PTS | 21 REB | 8 AST | 59.2 FPS
Johnson just couldn’t get going from three today, hitting only 1-of-7 attempts. Still, he finished with his tenth 20-point game of the conference. On the boards, however, he stood out, leading all players while recording his third 20-rebound game of the tournament. He was just as impressive as a playmaker, finishing with his highest assist output of the month. Obviously, Johnson can impact the game in many ways, and they will need him to keep producing at this level in this matchup.
Justin Brownlee GIN SF 24 PTS | 8 REB | 9 AST | 50.1 FPS
It wasn’t the best night offensively for the superstar import as he shot just 36% from the field in Game 3. But he compensated for it in the secondary categories, leading the team in both rebounds and assists. Through three games in this matchup, Brownlee has continued to thrive, averaging 29.0 points, 9.3 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 2.7 stocks.
Earl Scottie Thompson GIN SF 25 PTS | 7 REB | 3 STL | 46.4 FPS
Through three playoff games, Thompson has delivered at a high level. Today, though, he took his game even further, shooting 4-for-5 from two and 5-for-8 from three to lead all scorers and set a new conference-high output, all while making a major impact on the defensive end.
Rey Benedict Nambatac TNT PG 18 PTS | 8 REB | 2 STL | 36.1 FPS
Nambatac was a revelation in Game 3. After averaging just 4.75 points over his first four playoff games, he completely flipped the script today—going 5-for-7 on two-pointers and 8-for-11 at the line for his best scoring performance of the conference. This was a major breakthrough after struggling for most of the tournament.
Rhon Jay Abarrientos GIN PG 17 PTS | 5 AST | 1 STL | 30.1 FPS
Offensively, the sophomore guard is a player you can always depend on. He came up big in the fourth quarter today, scoring 10 points to help his team stay in front and finishing with at least 15 points for the 14th time in this conference.
Jhonard Clarito ROS PF 5 PTS | 9 REB | 5 STL | 29.3 FPS
Clarito has played exceptionally well offensively, averaging 22.0 points in the first two games of this matchup. While he was well below that standard today, he more than made up for it on the defensive end, finishing second on the team in rebounding while posting a conference-high in steals. Whether on offense or defense, Clarito always finds a way to deliver.
Brandon Arnell Ganuelas-Rosser TNT C 8 PTS | 8 REB | 3 BLK | 27.1 FPS
Through two games in this series, BGR has mostly been a non-factor, and that seemed to be the case again today, as he scored just one point in the first three quarters while struggling with fouls. But he came through when they needed him, scoring crucial baskets in the fourth to help TNT get back into the game.
Stephen Jeffrey Holt GIN SG 11 PTS | 7 REB | 3 STL | 25.4 FPS
Offensively, this was another subpar performance for Holt, but it was still a big improvement after averaging just 5.0 points in the first two games of the series. Overall, he also made a much bigger impact, finishing with his best rebounding game of the month while also posting a conference-high in steals.
Caelan Todd Tiongson ROS PF 23 PTS | 1 AST | 24.5 FPS
Tiongson was back in the lineup today after being sidelined for their last two games with a stomach problem. He immediately made his presence felt, knocking down 7-of-10 from deep to lead the team in scoring. He also had a similar performance in their quarterfinals win against San Miguel, so it wouldn’t be surprising if he delivers more in the games ahead.
Christopher Elijah Newsome MER SG 10 PTS | 6 REB | 4 AST | 21.2 FPS
Newsome had a rough performance in Game 3 , finishing scoreless in the first two quarters. But he was able to find some rhythm in the second half, particularly in the fourth where he knocked down two three-pointers. Still, he had his lowest scoring output in the playoffs and they will certainly need him to turn things around in Game 4 for them to have a better chance at winning.
Roger Ray Pogoy TNT SF 9 PTS | 2 REB | 3 STL | 20.4 FPS
Pogoy had a tough time all game long, missing 10 of his first 12 shots from the field, but he delivered when it mattered most by hitting a clutch three-pointer that put TNT up by two. Still, he finished with his worst scoring game of the playoffs. Even so, he’s played really well lately and he should be able to have a much better performance in Game 4.
Japeth Aguilar GIN C 7 PTS | 7 REB | 1 BLK | 18.9 FPS
While this was a step down from his previous performance, he still made a significant impact in under 20 minutes of play. Despite dealing with several injuries and struggling at times in this conference, Aguilar has been solid more often than not and should be poised for more of these performances going forward.
Joshua Andrei Caracut ROS PG 15 PTS | 1 REB | 3 AST | 18.7 FPS
In the first two games of the series, Caracut averaged just 1.0 point while shooting a dismal 0-for-6 from three. But he turned things around today, knocking down five three-pointers in the first quarter. While his scoring could make a huge difference in this matchup, he still needs to find a way to be more consistent.
Jordan Timothy Heading TNT SG 12 PTS | 4 REB | 1 AST | 17.3 FPS
Though Heading opened the series with a brilliant Game 1 performance, he continued to struggle afterward, scoring just six points on 1-for-8 shooting in Game 2. He wasn’t much better today, shooting just 2-for-7 from the field. However, he redeemed himself by going a perfect 7-for-7 from the line, securing his sixth double-digit scoring game of the conference.
Javee Mocon MER SF 8 PTS | 7 REB | 1 AST | 16.9 FPS
For most of the conference, Mocon has been a positive presence on the floor and that continued in Game 3. The veteran forward contributed solidly in the paint, converting 2-of-5 on two-pointers while also tying his conference-high in rebounds.
BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE DAY:
Adrian Clarence Nocum ROS SG 17 PTS | 4 REB | 3 AST | 19.3 FPS
So far in the series, scoring has not been an issue for Nocum, and he showed that again in Game 3, raising his average to 16.7 points on 41% shooting. He also made an even bigger impact today, leading the team with four offensive rebounds. The only problem was the turnovers, as he finished with a conference-worst seven.
