LAST dance. Rubber match. Do-or-die. Sudden death. Winner-take-all.

TNT Tropang Giga and Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings clash for the seventh and final game as they dispute the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Game time is 7:30 p.m. at the Big Dome.

With the best-of-seven title showdown tied at 3-3, the Tropang Giga and the Kings will now fight for all the marbles before another expected record crowd.

The Tropang Giga are once again looking to capture the Commissioner’s Cup championship, which they last won in 2014-15 against the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters.

The Gin Kings, on the other hand, are hoping to reclaim the crown they also held in the not-so-distant past.

The Tropang Giga struck with victories in Game 1, 3, and 6 while the Gin Kings took their turns with triumphs in Game 2, 4 and 5.

Last Wednesday, a record crowd of 17,654 watched Game 6 when the Tropang Giga held off the Kings, 87-83, to send the series into a winner-take-all.

Three-time PBA Best Import winner Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Rey Nambatac led the Tropang Giga , combining for 52 big points for coach Chot Reyes.

Hollis-Jefferson delivered a stellar double-double performance of 29 points on 10-of-21 shooting, aand 13 rebounds, along with six assists, and three steals while playing the entire game.

Nambatac added 23 points, including 3-of-4 from beyond the arc, five rebounds and three steals.

Calvin Oftana and JP Erram contributed 14 points each.

Oftana also had eight rebounds, four assists and three steals.

Justin Brownlee, Ginebra’s “Heart and Soul”, led the losing effort for the Gin Kings with 22 points on 9-of-10 shooting, seven rebounds, four assists and two blocks in 46 minutes of action.

Scottie Thompson and RJ Abarrientos each added 12 points while Japeth Aguilar and Stephen Holt contributed 11 points each for the Tim Cone-mentored Kings.

Thompson also had six rebounds and four assists while Aguilar had six rebounds and two blocks.

The Tropang Giga held an 85-80 lead with 16 seconds remaining when Thompson drained a tough three-pointer to cut the deficit to just two with 10 seconds left.

Ginebra saw an opportunity to force overtime after Hollis-Jefferson missed two free throws with nine seconds to go.

However, Erram secured the offensive rebound and tipped it back to Hollis-Jefferson, who redeemed himself by sinking both free throws.

The scores:

TNT (87) — Hollis-Jefferson 29, Nambatac 23, Oftana 14, Erram 14, Khobuntin 4, Pogoy 3, Heruela 0, Aurin 0, Williams 0.
Ginebra (83) –Brownlee 22, Thompson 12, Abarrientos 12, J. Aguilar 11, Holt 11, Malonzo 6, Rosario 6, Ahanmisi 3.
Quarterscores: 22-22, 38-42, 63-62, 87-83.

Game Friday:

(Smart Araneta Coliseum)
7:30 p.m.– TNT vs. Barangay Ginebra

The results:

Game 1 — TNT 95, Ginebra 89
Game 2 — Ginebra 71, TNT 70
Game 3 — TNT 87, Ginebra 85
Game 4 — Ginebra 95, TNT 78
Game 5 — Ginebra 73, TNT 66
Game 6 — TNT 87, Ginebra 83
(Best-of-seven series tied, 3-3).

AUTHOR PROFILE

Robert Andaya