Barangay Ginebra and TNT. PBA photo
Last Dance III in the PBA
CALL it Last Dance III.
TNT and Barangay Ginebra renew their seething rivalry and dispute the championship for the third time in the last five conferences starting Friday in Game 1 of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Game time is 7:30 p.m. with the Tropang Giga and the Kings finding themselves on opposite sides of the floor again as they gun for the coveted title in Asia’s first play-for-pay league.
Although TNT took the first two of their title showdowns against Ginebra, all signs point to another exciting fight to the finish pitting two of the league’s more popular teams.
A big part of this TNT-Ginebra rivalry is the personal battle between imports Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Justin Brownlee, who boasts of a combined m five Best Import awards and eight PBA titles.
But both TNT coach Chot Reyes and Ginebra mentor Tim Cone admit the local support will be a key ingredient in the matchup.
“Jayson (Castro) is much more than just the skills he brings to the table. It’s a lot of other things — leadership, maturity, reading the game. In the finals, those are so important,” said Reyes, referring to his prized player Jaysom Castro, who will be out of the series.
“We just not have to worry that he’s (Castro’s) not here, and just fight with who’s here. And what we have right now, we really have no choice but to go out there and give it our best. We’ll see what happens,” added Reyes.
Said Cone: “We’re coming into this series with a lot more depth than we had in the last time we played them (Season 49 Governors’ Cup) and I think that’s going to be a big factor for us.”
Unlike in their previous title series, Ginebra is better prepared now with Jamie Malonzo, Jeremiah Gray and Troy Rosario in the line-up.
“I think we’re coming into this series with a lot more depth than we had in the last time we played them and I think that’s going to be a big factor for us,”said
Malonzo, who was forced out of action when the Tropang Giga beat the Gin Kings, 4-2, in the season-opening PBA Governors’ Cup.
Gray is also back in harness after a long hiatus from knee injury, while Rosario joined Ginebra as a free agent before the Commissioner’s Cup.
Both TNT and Ginebra reached the best-of-seven finals after inspiring semifinal victories over Rain or Shine and NorthPort, respectively.
