TNT had to pay dearly for taking a gamble in a critical moment in Game 7 of the PBA Season Commissioner’s Cup Finals, but Rondae Hollus-Jefferson would be the first to say that they needed it.
The three-time Best Import believes that he would have been a liability had he stayed on the floor and Paul Varilla remained on the bench, since he could no longer bear the pain of playing through a banged-up body.
Coach Chot Reyes had to insert the 6-foot-3 winger in RHJ’s place, and despite his solid defense, Justin Brownlee still knocked down the tough triple from the top of the key as Ginebra eventually forced the winner-take-all to overtime.
“I wouldn’t have sat down for that last shot, but I probably would have been a liability,” the former NBA veteran said.
“But you know, Justin’s a phenomenal player, he hit a big shot so you got to give him credit for that.”
The Tropang Giga did win the end, 87-83, to claim its second straight title of the season — but not before overcoming Hollis-Jefferson’s condition.
The 30-year-old came into Game 7 hurt after slamming into the LED board near the team’s bench during their previous match last March 26. His upper body was in pain after chasing for the loose ball, although he managed to play through it.
“From the last game when I ran into a speaker, I got hit in between my rib cage. Obviously, I’m no doctor so I can’t tell you what’s going on exactly, but it feels like a hernia or something, ’cause it’s connected to my groin,” he said.
That was why he had to sit out during what should have been the last possession of Game 7, forcing TNT to go all-Filipino.
“So like at the end, my abdomen was locked, and at the same time, my groin was locked. So I couldn’t really move my leg. So I needed to sit down.”
Hollis-Jefferson still mustered enough strength and came back for the final play. He even tried to win it, but ultimately missed.
“I’m banged up, but I’m sure they’re banged up as well. I said to myself that I won’t make any excuses and I just tried my best,” he said.
He went on to play in the extra period before the locals bravely stepped up with their import held back by pain. In the end, the quartet of Rey Nambatac, Poy Erram, Glenn Khobuntin, and Calvin Oftana came through to bring the trophy home.
That’s why Hollis-Jefferson couldn’t feel more proud about how his teammates found the fortitude to rise back — not just in Game 7 itself where they fell down by six during the fourth, but in the series as well when Ginebra held a 3-2 lead.
“Man, I’m proud of these guys. To be punched how we were punched with those tough games, we were kind of out of it; our heads were somewhere else,” said the Arizona product, who finished with 25 points and 12 rebounds.
“We decided to eat together as a team. And we just talked after we ate, we made a circle and we talked about what it is we were feeling, what it is we were thinking. And I know this game of basketball is something we all want to win at.”
He’s now won his third PBA title to become the winningest import in TNT history. And all that, for him, was thanks to their ‘connectivity’ with one another — the very thing that enabled the crew to pull through in a classic Game 7.
“These men, I consider them brothers. Chot says the same, Jolas says the same. And our no. 1 thing over any team is our connectivity,” he said.
“We may not have the most talented players, but you see, we know how to enjoy the game and we know how to feed off one another. And in those games that we lost, I feel like we lost our connectivity,” he added.
“That’s what Chot preached to us, that’s what the talk was all about, that’s what rallied us. You know, the belief and the connectivity in your brother to make those shots.”
Soon, he’ll be flying back home to Pennsylvania for some much-needed rest and recovery with his family before joining his brothers next season.
“I’m going home to rest. I’m going home to play with my kids, pick them up from school, coach them in soccer and I’ll see you guys again soon,” he said.
#WATCH: Rondae Hollis-Jefferson reveals the injury he played through in the #PBA2025 Commissioner’s Cup and thanks TNT for another championship 🏀 🏆
📹 @justinebacnis /Tiebreaker Times pic.twitter.com/cxJ8tJ83rM
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) March 28, 2025
