Rondae, TNT dispatch Rain or Shine to return to PBA title round

The TNT Tropang Giga are back in the PBA Governors’ Cup finals. Led by another masterful performance by its super import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (201-F/C-1995, college: Arizona), TNT finished off the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in Game 5 of their best-of-seven semifinal series with a 113-95 rout at the Ynares Center in Antipolo on Friday, October 18. Hollis-Jefferson was all over the floor for the Tropang Giga, stuffing the stat sheet with 36 points, 11 rebounds, 9 assists, 6 steals, and 1 block, as they kept their title defense going in the Governors’ Cup following a dominant 4-1 series win over Rain or Shine. TNT ruled the previous Governors’ Cup in 2023 after dispatching the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings in six games. After being on top by just 3 points at the end of the first period, 28-25, TNT unleashed a furious 12-0 run in the opening minutes of the second quarter to create a double-digit separation from Rain or Shine, 40-25. The Elasto Painters managed to slice the deficit back to single digits at the 5:08 mark of the second frame, 34-42, but that was the closest they could get as the Tropang Giga stepped on the gas anew, even pushing their lead to as many as 27 points in the third period. “It was a 12 to nothing run. That means we played some great defense in that stretch,” said TNT head coach Chot Reyes of the Tropang Giga’s turning point of the game. “There’s no secret to our game. We really hang our hats to our ability to stop the other team. When we make stops, we give ourselves a lot of opportunities and we need a lot of opportunities because we don’t shoot the ball particularly well.” “I think that was it. The story was in that run, in that stretch, and I think that wore [Rain or Shine] down,” added Reyes, who returns to the finals for the first time since coming back as TNT’s head coach earlier this year. Aside from Hollis-Jefferson, Roger Ray Pogoy (189-SG-1992) delivered a solid outing for TNT with 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting. Kim Aurin added 12 points, while Calvin Oftana flirted with a double-double of 10 markers and 9 rebounds in the lopsided affair. Import Aaron Fuller (198-F-1989, college: USC, agency: Haylett Sports) led six Rain or Shine players in double-digit scoring with 14. Adrian Nocum supplied 13 points, Gian Mamuyac (180-G-1999), Keith Datu (201-F-1996, college: Chico St.), and Andrei Caracut (178-G-1996) chipped in 11 apiece, while Leonard Santillan (195-C-1996) added 10. After securing the first ticket to the finals, TNT now plays the waiting game as it takes on the winner of the other best-of-seven semifinals between Ginebra and the San Miguel Beermen. The Gin Kings earlier handed the Beermen a 121-92 beating for a pivotal 3-2 series lead.
Courtesy of: rappler.com