Titleholder TNT and Barangay Ginebra will try to take control of the PBA Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup Finals as the best-of-7 affair heads to the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay for Game 3 of a tightly-contested affair so far.
Tip-off time is scheduled at 7:30 PM, with the Tropang 5G hoping to break the trend after the long-time corporate rivals traded wins in the first two games at the SMART Araneta Coliseum, both of which lured crowds of 11,000-plus fans.
Coach Chot Reyes’ men took Game 2 last Friday, but not before surviving the Kings’ furious fightback. The Barangay cut a gap as big as 21 to just four with under a minute left until Calvin Oftana and Chris McCullough closed it out.
Rallying from big deficits has become the story two games into the series. Game 1 saw TNT claw its way back from down 18, before RJ Abarrientos and Justin Brownlee came through in the clutch to win it, 102-100.
Now, it’s about authoring a different narrative and aiming to play consistently for 48 minutes, according to the 7-time Coach of the Year, in an attempt to build a 2-1 lead — and to move halfway to the ultimate goal.
Per the Casino Plus sportsbook, the Kings are favored to come out triumphant, with the handicap set at -3.5 and the over/under in total points at 194.0.
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“Hopefully, we can sustain a high level for 48 minutes,” Reyes said moments after their 101-94 victory.
“Against a team like Ginebra, if you let your guard down for three or four minutes, they’ll get on a very quick run.”
As for Coach Tim Cone and the crowd darlings, it’s about trying to find their spunk once more. His team is feeling the effects of the tough schedule, especially coming off a grueling six-game semis battle versus a younger Rain or Shine.
The hope is also for better officiating, after the league’s most successful mentor slammed the four-man crew for the free-throw disparity back in Game 2. There, TNT shot 22-of-25 while the Kings only went 9-of-10.
Rarely does Cone complain about the refs, but he couldn’t hold back this time, even using Justin Brownlee’s four FTs to prove his point.
“Justin had four free throws — he only took three three-point shots, and yet he only got four free throws. He was going to the rim, he was getting around the basket, and wasn’t getting the call all night,” he rued.
Cone, though, owned up to their loss.
“That came down to the fact that we just didn’t show up tonight at the beginning of the game,” he said.
“We had three assists, I think, in the first half. That’s just not us. Tip your cap to TNT for their defense … We gotta find some answers.”
