TNT’s drive and hunger against Ginebra’s never-say-die attitude

The PBA Season 49 Governors’ Cup Finals is about to close and a champion will emerge really soon.

If the TNT Tropang Giga wins tonight in their battle against Barangay Ginebra at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, they will be crowned back-to-back champions of the import-laden conference.

But if the Gin Kings put up a show and bring back their never-say-die attitude, they can force a Game 7 on Sunday, November 10, at the Ynares Center in Antipolo and steal the trophy from the defending champions.

The two-time best import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson will once again try to lead the Tropang Giga to the Promised Land.

In Game 5, the hardworking import had his fair share of rest - the most he rested in his PBA stint. He was pulled out late in the third period when TNT already had a big advantage over Ginebra, and he was never fielded in again.

It was Hollis-Jefferson’s first time to not play in the final period for quite a while in his career and that rest might give him additional fuel to be more explosive in their possible championship-clinching game.

On other hand, Ginebra’s ever-reliant import Justin Brownlee struggled last game and only scored eight points on 3-of-13 shooting from the field. And he was also pulled out late in the third quarter and never played the final period of play.

But knowing how Brownlee played in the past, he always came out strong when his team needed him the most. He carried the Gin Kings on his shoulders since 2016 and gave them six championships, four coming from the Governors’ Cup.

And the additional rest that JB had in their Wednesday game might be the one that he needed the most to explode once again in their game tonight and showed on why he was chosen as the Gilas Pilipinas naturalized player and why he is so much loved by the Ginebra faithfuls.

The imports played a big role in a Finals series and another one is the battle of the coaches' minds.

Coach Tim Cone of Ginebra and Coach Chot Reyes of TNT are the two of the most decorated coaches in the PBA today. And they have known each other since 1989 when Reyes was still Cone’s deputy in Alaska.

Now that they are about to break their 3-3 head-to-head battle, coach Chot has a little advantage as they are now leading the series 3-2 but coach Tim always has a winning attitude and will never give up easily.

Cone and the Gin Kings already showed that they can rise from setbacks when they overcame a 0-2 deficit to tie the series at 2-2 before being crushed by the Tropang Giga in Game 5.

They will try once again to climb back from their fall and force a Game 7 on Sunday.

Meanwhile, TNT seemed to be the hungrier team as they showed dominance in their last game. And if that hunger continues tonight, there is no doubt that they will be crowned champions again of the conference and will finish it in six games just like what they did against Ginebra the last time around.

The battle will not only be between the coaches and the imports but also the locals who should step up to the occasion.

TNT locals will once again be relied on. The unit will be led by veterans Jayson Castro and Kelly Williams, together with RR Pogoy, Calvin Oftana, Rey Nambatac, Glenn Khobuntin, and Poy Erram who made solid contributions in their campaign. There’s also Kim Aurin and Brian Heruela who can also give them spark. Barkley Eboña, Ryan Reyes and CJ Payawal can also be called up when they are needed.

Ginebra will also rely on their own local unit led by Japeth Aguilar and Scottie Thompson, together with Maverick Ahanmisi, Stephen Holt, and rookie RJ Abarrientos.

The veteran LA Tenorio who made an impact when he was inserted in the starting line-up in Game 3 & 4 can also share his wisdom to the younger ones.

Another veteran who can make an impact is Joe Devance. He might not play a lot of minutes but his presence alone can already give a boost to his team.

They can also call on the numbers of Ralph Cu, Nards Pinto, Von Pessumal, Aljon Mariano, Raymond Aguilar and Ben Adamos if they need additional spark from the bench.

So, who will be crowned champions of the Season 49 opening conference? Is it the hunger and drive of the Tropang Giga or the never-say-die attitude of the Gin Kings?

Well, it’s up to the team who has the most desire to win it all.