TNT beats Ginebra to retain PBA Governors’ Cup crown
The TNT Topang Giga celebrate their victory in the PBA Governors’ Cup on Friday night, November 9, 2024. | PBA Images
TNT took down Barangay Ginebra, 95-85, in Game 6 to win the PBA Governors’ Cup on Friday night, November 9, 2024.
The Tropang Giga completed their repeat, beating the crowd darlings in Game 6 before 14,668 screaming fans at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson helped TNT out of an 85-all deadlock in the fourth period, scoring four points as the locals–led by Jayson Castro and Roger Pogoy–starved the Gin Kings of the offense that kept them in the thick of things earlier in the contest.
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“It took a lot of belief from top to bottombelieving that we could do it. All the work we put in, it paid off,” said ” said the American forward, who also helped the club in the run-up to the title during the previous edition of the tournament.
“Chot (Reyes) said we didn’t come this far just to get this far. We got the championship and we’re excited.”
Hollis-Jefferson finished with 31 points, 16 rebounds and eight assists to fulfill his earlier promise of helping TNT to a successful title defense after tabbing the Best Import award earlier in the championship series.
TNT now has 10 championships throughout its PBA existence.
Castro and Pogoy had 13 each in the clincher, with the former emerging as the PBA Press Corps-Honda Finals Most Valuable Player with averages of 10.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 5.1 assists.
Rey Nambatac chipped in 12 points to finally win his first PBA title while Calvin Oftana added eight.
“It’s a good championship, and now we go on to the next one,” Reyes said, but not without tipping his hat to a Ginebra side he called “a worthy opponent.”
Reyes now has 10 PBA crowns under his belt.
Rookie RJ Abarrientos had 31 points in his finest outing this series. Justin Brownlee had 14 while Stephen Holt 12 as the Gin Kings fumbled a chance to send the series to a thrilling you-or-me that would’ve been played this Sunday at Ynares Center in Antipolo City.
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