Rey Nambatac landed the haymaker as TNT floored a dejected Ginebra in yet another down-the-wire affair, 87-85, to take the 2-1 lead in the PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup Finals at the Philsports Arena in Pasig Wednesday night.
The lefty playmaker nailed the tie-breaking triple from the corner for the 85-82 lead with 30.1 seconds left to play, before Glenn Khobuntin widened the gap to five just moments later to make it even tougher for the Kings to keep in step.
Not even a Scottie Thompson trey with 2.6 seconds to spare was enough to reignite the Barangay’s hopes as time was no longer on their side, eventually finding themselves trailing anew in the best-of-7 series.
But the toughest to fathom for the crowd darlings, without a doubt, is the uncertainty surrounding Justin Brownlee. The long-time import left the game at the 6:42-mark of the third due to a dislocated right thumb and was sent to the hospital.
“It took our very best,” said head coach Chot Reyes post-game. “We actually talked about it when Justin went out, and I told the players that we’re going to see the best Ginebra here, so we have to be at our best.”
Nambatac top-scored for TNT with a game-high 24 points to submit his best scoring performance with the franchise. The lefty guard shot an efficient 9-of-16 from the floor and also chalked up five rebounds and seven assists.
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, with a gash on his face and all, finished with 20 points, none bigger than his tough layup that tied the game up at 82-all with 1:50 to spare. He also had 11 rebounds, eight assists, and a steal.
Calvin Oftana had 16 points and five rebounds, three of which he collected on offense — the last one truly the biggest as it eventually led to Nambatac’s trey.
Khobuntin added 10 points for the Tropa, who will shoot for a 3-1 lead in Game 4 on Friday, March 21, 7:30 PM, at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.
Ginebra, on the other hand, was led by Brownlee with a 19-4-6 stat line before being sent to the hospital during the fourth due to the injury he suffered.
Thompson had 15 points, eight rebounds, and five assists. Troy Rosario and RJ Abarrientos each had 13 points while Jamie Malonzo added 11 markers as they all tried to hold the fort for the Barangay but fell just short in the end.
It remains uncertain if the three-time Best Import can still return to the series as there remains no update from the team regarding his condition.
“We don’t know. But even without him, nakita niyo naman today how strong, how tight that team is,” warned Reyes.
“Without Justin, somebody else is going to step up. They’re going to rely on their defense, their ability to defend us, to generate stops for themselves. This is not over by any means. We have to make sure we’re ready,” he added.
The Scores:
TNT 87 – Nambatac 24, Hollis-Jefferson 20, Oftana 16, Khobuntin 10, Pogoy 8, Erram 5, Aurin 4, Williams 0, Heruela 0.
Ginebra 85 – Brownlee 19, Thompson 15, Rosario 13, Abarrientos 13, Malonzo 11, J.Aguilar 6, Holt 5, Ahanmisi 3.
Quarterscores: 17-17, 42-48, 72-66, 87-85
#WATCH: Even without Justin Brownlee, Chot Reyes and Rey Nambatac believe Ginebra remains strong after their close win in Game 3 of the #PBA2025 Commissioner’s Cup Finals 🏀
📹 @justinebacnis /Tiebreaker Times pic.twitter.com/iwGwCtvZHO
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) March 19, 2025
