Three‑time champion and Best Import Rondae Hollis‑Jefferson made a triumphant return to the PBA on Tuesday as he helped the TNT Tropang 5G clobber the Macau Giant Pandas, 142‑87, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
Hollis‑Jefferson played just 22 minutes against Macau but wound up with 22 points on 10‑for‑22 shooting to go along with 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals. All told, it was a relatively modest performance from the reigning Governors’ Cup Best Import, although that’s probably unsurprising from someone sidelined from competitive hoops for ten months and still working his way back into game shape.
“I’m excited to be back,” RHJ told reporters after TNT’s seventh win this conference. “I’m still trying to get it [rhythm]. That was a game for that. I’m trying to gauge myself, see where I’m at. I’ve been training really hard… I’ve been dealing with a lot of personal stuff. When I get into basketball mode, I try to stay focused on basketball and give my all. I thought that it would translate. But it’s nothing like when you get in a game. It’s a different feeling. A different type of endurance. And I felt like I played 40 minutes a game. It was only 22.”
The struggle—if that’s even the correct term—was real for Hollis‑Jefferson, who missed four layups and went 2‑for‑9 in the first quarter. He ultimately made 7 of his next 12 shots, and that could be something for RHJ to build on with TNT about to enter a gauntlet in the coming days.
Hollis‑Jefferson Gets Acid Test Before the Playoffs
On Sunday, RHJ will be thrown right into the burning cauldron as TNT takes on the equally blazing‑hot Converge FiberXers, who aren’t anything like the Giant Pandas. The FiberXers are deep, talented, and emerging title contenders—and they are sure to test the Tropa and their now‑iconic import the way Macau couldn’t.
Not that it matters to Hollis‑Jefferson. It turns out, he could care less who’s in front of the Tropang 5G because, at the end of the day, what he and his teammates do, at least in his estimation, is what will matter in the end.
“I’ve been watching the games. I don’t take anybody lightly… No matter what the scores show,” RHJ said. “I want to win every game. I want to come out, show that. Hopefully that rubs off to my teammates. They know how I am, they know what this means to me, what it means to the people that help our organization… Every game. It doesn’t matter how good the other teams are. It just matters about what we do.”
RHJ probably knows what he’s talking about. He has won three titles already in his brief PBA career and has helped turn TNT into arguably one of the toughest, hardest‑to‑beat teams in the league.
Eyes on the Crown
With one game under his belt, Hollis‑Jefferson said he’ll continue taking his return one game at a time, even with the playoffs looming. So, for now, his focus is on Sunday, when TNT faces Converge. Even then, the ultimate goal, he says, is the championship.
“That’s always the goal [winning the title]. That’s always the goal for an organization of this caliber. I think for me, it’s more so about taking one game at a time,” he said. “Right now, we play Sunday against Converge. So, that’s the focus. And then we’ll talk about the playoffs when they come. Quarters, semis, and so on. One game at a time.”
That sounds like a plan.
