Game on Wednesday
(Smart Araneta Coliseum)
7:30 p.m. – Ginebra vs TNT
(Finals Game 1)
HUNGER will be in abundant supply as defending champion TNT and Barangay Ginebra fire the first salvo in the latest installment of their PBA finals rivalry in the Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup.
They may be on their fifth straight appearance in the championship stage but the TNT Tropang 5G are actually on a mild slump, losing the last two, the Season 49 and Season 50 Philippine Cup to San Miguel.
The drought stretched longer — seven conferences to be exact — for the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings, who yielded to TNT in their last three trips in the Last Dance, including this very tournament last season, after their last triumph in the Season 47 edition.
Some key personnel on both sides carry extra motivation as well as they continue their hunt for a maiden PBA championship beginning with Game 1 at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“This is why we play — to win games and win championships. This is my fifth conference with the team and third finals appearance. So hopefully we can break through this moment. We definitely don’t want to take these moments for granted and hopefully we can get the job done this time,” said Ginebra’s Stephen Holt, denied twice before by the Tropang 5G.
“I guess there’s a chance, yeah? We’ll see,” said TNT guard Jordan Heading, who’s been to two previous All-Filipino finals with TNT but found the door shut by San Miguel Beermen each time.
Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser (BGR) was injured when the PLDT franchise won the first two conferences of the Season 49. He was back in the fold for the next two and like Mr. Heading, settled for runner-up finishes. Now BGR wants to bring his unfinished business to completion.
“I hope so. I’m just excited to go out and play some good basketball. You never want to take these opportunities for granted, coming here five times. We just play our game, rely on each other, do the things that got us here and hopefully this time we come out on the winning side,” he said.
While the core group and the chief strategists Chot Reyes and Tim Cone are back, the fourth title duel between the old rivals in the last eight conferences features a new component with Chris McCullough pitted against Justin Brownlee this time.
“It’s going to be an exciting matchup. I’ve known Chris (McCullough) for a long time, he’s a very versatile player. It’s definitely going to be a challenge for our team to contain him,” said Mr. Brownlee.
Mr. McCullough’s arrival in place of the injured Bol Bol made TNT a more dangerous foe, according to Mr. Cone.
“I think they’re a lot more integrated now in terms of everybody contributing. I thought that when Mr. Bol was there, they really had a more difficult time trying to keep everybody involved,” he said. “Now they’re back to playing ‘Talk and Text’ brand of basketball and I think that that’s made them better, tougher in the coming series.” — Olmin Leyba
