The Barangay Ginebra San Miguel is scheduled for a Game 5 Championship round head-to-head match against the Talk ‘N Text TNT Tropang Giga at 5:45 PM on April 19, 2023 live from the Smart Araneta Coliseum at Quezon City, Metro Manila.
Tropang Giga import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson demonstrated an inspired basketball after winning his first Best Import Award in the PBA. That could be one of the adjustments for the KaTropa and most likely the other one is the brilliant performance of Kib Montalbo. Meanwhile, the Gin Kings will bring with them whatever scribbles they have drawn on their whiteboard to reclaim the championship series advantage.
The PBA Governors’ Cup title series between Barangay Ginebra and TNT Tropang Giga has been a back-and-forth battle, with both teams looking to take the pivotal 3-2 series lead in Game 5. The winner of this game will have a chance to wrap up the championship in Game 6. Despite the Tropang Giga missing RR Pogoy due to a fractured pinkie, they shot a league-record 21 three-pointers in the last game, beating the Gin Kings 116-104 to level the series. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, the conference Best Import, put in a hulking performance with 36 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, and three steals, while the TNT marksmen, including Jayson Castro, Calvin Oftana, Mikey Williams, and Kib Montalbo, combined to hit 21 treys.
Both teams are eager to secure a virtual twice-to-beat advantage in the next game. TNT’s coach, Jojo Lastimosa, credits his team’s success to having proper spacing and shooters in the corner. He says, “If Rondae is there as a screener, we’re going to get shots.” The Tropang Giga have shown they can be a tough challenger, but Ginebra’s Justin Brownlee, who was stymied by Hollis-Jefferson’s defense in Game 4, is a proven competitor and winner. The game could boil down to which team makes better adjustments. The coaches, Tim Cone and Jojo Lastimosa have been playing a virtual chess match, with Lastimosa doing well in the first four games. However, the series is now at a crucial stage, and the question is which team will have the grit to push through.
In Game 4, Hollis-Jefferson called on his TNT teammates for a photo-op at midcourt, emphasizing “teamwork” after he was named the Best Import. The Tropang Giga’s strong mentality and team effort paid off in their emphatic win over Ginebra. Coach Lastimosa asked his players to play with an attitude they don’t want to lose, and each responded in the affirmative, including Kib Montalbo, who ably filled in for the injury-hit RR Pogoy. Montalbo finished with 16 points, including a Hail Mary three-pointer to close the first half. The TNT gunners strung up 21 three-pointers, and the Tropang Giga had big successes on the hustle charts.
The teams will face off again at the Smart Araneta Coliseum for the pivotal 3-2 lead. With the series down to a virtual best-of-three, both teams need to step up their game. As Coach Cone says, “It’s time to make some adjustments, try to be better in Game 5, and put ourselves in a position to win.”