Hollis-Jefferson paves way for TNT’s 2-0 Finals lead
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson fired a career-high six three-pointers in his total 37 points to lead TNT to a 2-0 advantage in their best-of-seven Finals series against Barangay Ginebra.
Hollis-Jefferson also grabbed 13 rebounds, dished-off seven assists, stole the ball once and registered one shot block to steer the Tropang Giga into a 96-84 win at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
RHJ might have given his all-around effort in their Game 2 win but he was not alone in carrying the load for TNT as he had a lot of help from his teammates.
Calvin Oftana produced double-double numbers of 13 points and 14 rebounds, while Glenn Khobuntin put up 13 markers on 4-of-4 shooting from the field. Both players also shot three 3-pointers each.
Jayson Castro showed his veteran smarts once again in the big stage, making nine markers and seven dimes. RR Pogoy also put up nine points and five boards for the Tropang Giga.
Game 1 heroes Rey Nambatac and Poy Erram only rack up six and four points, respectively, but already enough to support the effort of their prized import Hollis-Jefferson, who’s also leading in the Best Import of the Conference race.
TNT also made 14 threes in the contest making the three-ball their main weapon in dominating the Gin Kings in both games.
“That’s our game. We take what the opportunities are in front of us. If they play us a certain way, then we take the penetration and drive. If they cover that, we make sure that we take the next best open shot,” TNT coach Chot Reyes said.
Ginebra, on the other hand, had a better performance from their 88-104 setback in the series opener. They even took the lead a couple of times in the game before the Tropang Giga took care of business in the final period when they had an 18-10 run including RHJ’s sixth triple of the ballgame to open a 91-81 lead, and never looked back from there on until the final buzzer.
Justin Brownlee had 19 points and nine rebounds for the Gin Kings, but missed all his three outside attempts including two from downtown.
Scottie Thompson had 18 markers and nine boards, while Stephen Holt and Japeth Aguilar had 11 points each.
The Scores:
TNT 96 – Hollis-Jefferson 37, Oftana 13, Khobuntin 13, Castro 9, Pogoy 9, Nambatac 6, Erram 4, Williams 3, Aurin 2.
Barangay Ginebra 84 – Brownlee 19, Thompson 18, Holt 11, J. Aguilar 11, Abarrientos 7, Ahanmisi 7, Cu 7, Pinto 4.
Quarters: 19-23; 49-41; 72-71; 96-84.
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Blackwater attempted a late push, cutting the gap to 76-65 in the fourth quarter, but NLEX responded with a 12-5 counter that put the game out of reach. Semerad, who buried three triples in the payoff period, earned Finals MVP honors with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Torres topped the scoring for NLEX with 19 markers, while Bolick came close to a triple-double with eight points, six boards, and nine assists. JB Bahio and Fajardo chipped in 12 and 10 markers, respectively. As a team, the Road Warriors torched the net from beyond the arc, going 18-of-34, with Semerad and Torres sinking four each.
Sedrick Barefield paced Blackwater with 15 points, while Richard Escoto added 14. The Bossing, despite falling short in the finals, had an impressive run in the preliminaries, including a comeback win over NLEX, 95-90, earlier in the tournament.
The championship serves as a timely boost for NLEX heading into the new PBA season. Last year, the Road Warriors finished second in the Philippine Cup eliminations before bowing out in the quarterfinals against Rain or Shine. Deputy mentor Adonis Tierra called the shots in their last two games, steering the team to become the second straight PBA squad to lift the Kadayawan crown, following Rain or Shine’s sweep in 2024. NLEX closed the tournament with a 3-1 card, their lone loss coming at the hands of Blackwater.
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Troy Mallillin contributed 17 points and six rebounds, while newcomer Jed Mendoza impressed in his debut with 16 points.
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All eyes in Taiwan will be on the Taipei Heping Basketball Gymnasium, which will host a blockbuster doubleheader featuring some of the region’s most decorated clubs.
The action tips off with a clash between the B.LEAGUE champions Utsunomiya Brex and the P. LEAGUE+ runners-up Taipei Fubon Braves. Utsunomiya, led by veteran guard Makoto Hiejima, entered as one of Japan’s most successful franchises. The Braves, meanwhile, look to prove their resilience after falling short in a grueling seven-game finals series last season, banking on the leadership of Chinese Taipei legend Lin Chih-Chieh.
The second game of the night brings a rematch between the P. LEAGUE+ champions Taoyuan Pauian Pilots and Japan’s Ryukyu Golden Kings. Their last encounter came in the 2025 EASL Final Four semifinals, where Taoyuan stunned Ryukyu, 71–64. This time, the Golden Kings are eager for redemption, while the Pilots hope to reaffirm their place among Asia’s elite.
Game schedule (HKT):
- Utsunomiya vs. Taipei Fubon – 6:30 PM
- Taoyuan vs. Ryukyu – 8:30 PM