THE TNT Tropang Giga bounced back from their previous endgame misstep to score a nail-biting 87-85 victory over Barangay Ginebra on Wednesday night, March 19, 2025, and take a 2-1 lead in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig.
Despite the absence of injured Justin Brownlee in the final 18 minutes, the Gin Kings displayed their trademark never-say-die attitude, but the Tropang Giga won’t be denied, clinching the win with clutch plays by Rey Nambatac and Glenn Khobuntin.
“I told the players we’re going to see the best of Ginebra even without Justin. We have to be at our best. I reminded them how strong and deep that team is. And when they went up by three, we didn’t panic and that’s the turning point,” said TNT coach Chot Reyes.
Brownlee, who suffered a suspected dislocated right thumb at the 6:42 mark of the third quarter, was rushed to the hospital even before the game concluded. His availability for Game 4 on Friday at the Ynares Sports Center in Antipolo remains uncertain.
Great hustle plays led to a three-point play from Nambatac then a breakaway layup from Khobuntin as the Tropang Giga shattered an 82-all deadlock and scored a second win in the series following a 95-89 victory in Game 1.
In his finest hours in the pros, Nambatac came through with a team-high 24 points with 5-of-7 three-pointers plus seven assists and five rebounds against four turnovers.
The former Letran spitfire himself led their charge in a fightback from nine-point deficit late in the first half.
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (RHJ) delivered a near triple-double with 20 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists. His defensive efforts and key hustles were crucial in TNT’s clutch moments.
A pivotal sequence saw Kelly Williams forcing RJ Abarrientos into a costly turnover, leading to RHJ’s fastbreak assist for Khobuntin’s game-winning finish.
Even after falling behind 82-87 with 14.4 ticks left, the Gin Kings kept fighting. A Scottie Thompson triple cut the defecit to two, but they couldn’t prevent the Tropang Giga from reclaiming control of the series.
Brownlee had 19 markers, six assists, and four rebounds for Ginebra before taking the exit.
/ PBA.PH
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.
Quarters: 17-17, 42-48, 72-66, 87-85.