TNT Tropang Giga and Barangay Ginebra clash in series tone-setter Game 3

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Game on Wednesday
(PhilSports Arena)
7:30 p.m. – TNT vs Barangay Ginebra (Finals Game 3)
Series tied, 1-1

BOTH TEAMS are putting much premium on defense. So don’t be surprised if protagonists TNT and Barangay Ginebra won’t churn out a shoot-the-lights-out, “pogi basketball” type of match anytime soon.

“Since the start of it, coach Tim (Cone) is saying it’s going to be a defensive series and some games, we just going to have to win ugly,” Ginebra import Justin Brownlee said after the Gin Kings nipped the Tropang Giga, 71-70, to tie the PBA Commissioner’s Cup title series at 1-1.

“I think that (Game 2 squeaker) was a perfect example, a low-scoring game. So yeah, if we want to continue having success in this series, it’s going to be very important we use all our effort on defense and try to I guess make the game ugly.”

The finals opener saw TNT winning, 95-89, blending tough guarding with hot shooting from the three-point line.

But as Ginebra reasserted its defensive might in the Game 2 strike-back, the Tropang Giga brace for more grind-it-out outings not only on Wednesday’s Game 3 but beyond.

The two dispute a pivotal 2-1 upper hand in the best-of-seven contest at 7:30 p.m. at the PhilSports Arena. Game 3, according to Mr. Cone, is going to be the “tone-setter.”

“Obviously, they’re not going to be happy about the Game 2 loss tonight and though we’re happy we won, we’re certainly not satisfied,” he said.

“As well as we played defensively, we still don’t feel we played that well of a game on the offensive side so we feel there’s a lot of improvement. They’re going to improve, we’re going to improve. I think it’s going to be a hell of a game on Game 3 and the rest of the series.”

Going into the tiebreaker, Mr. Brownlee reminded the Gin Kings of the fact that Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and TNT denied them of the title in two previous finals faceoffs.

“We’ve got to stay hungry, especially with the past history. We know how good this team (TNT) is and they’ve beat us before.” — Olmin Leyba