October 18, Friday – Ynares Center, Antipolo
5pm – San Miguel Beermen vs Ginebra Gin Kings 7:30pm – Rain or Shine Elastopainters vs TNT Tropang Giga PBA: Rondae Hollis-Jefferson lauds Rain or Shine for ‘tough battle’
Rondae Hollis Jefferson leads TNT to a PBA Governors’ Cup Finals return after ousting Rain or SHine. –PBA IMAGES
MANILA, Philippines—As TNT booked a return to the PBA Governors’ Cup Finals, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson acknowledged Rain or Shine’s efforts for making things hard for him throughout five games. ADVERTISEMENT
TNT successfully ousted Elasto Painter in Game 5, 113-95, at Ynares Sports Center in Antipolo to finish the series at 4-1.
But if you ask Hollis-Jefferson, the wins don’t reflect the real story.FEATURED STORIES
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Tim Cone, Ginebra locked in on getting back at TNT for PBA title
PBA: RJ Abarrientos delivers for Ginebra as ‘starter off the bench’
Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings rookie guard RJ Abarrientos during the PBA Governors’ Cup semifinals Game 5 against San Miguel Beermen. – PBA Images
MANILA, Philippines—Ginebra guard RJ Abarrientos finished Game 5 with the best offensive game of his young PBA career on Wednesday night.
But what only mattered for the rookie was the pivotal win that came along with his numbers.
“First of all, I wasn’t even thinking much about it today,” said Abarrientos after the Gin Kings’ 121-92 win that put them on the cusp of a spot in the Governors’ Cup finals.
PBA: RHJ, TNT back in the Finals after ousting Rain or Shine
Rondae Hollis Jefferson leads TNT to a PBA Governors’ Cup Finals return after ousting Rain or SHine. –PBA IMAGES
ANTIPOLO — TNT left nothing to chance on Friday night, beating Rain or Shine black and blue, 113-95, to punch a return ticket to the PBA Governors’ Cup Finals.
Buoyed yet again by import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, the Tropang Giga, defending champions of this conference, claimed the first seat in the championship series before a packed Ynares Center here.
“There’s no secret to our game, we really hang our hats in our ability to stop the other. When we make stops we give ourselves a lot of opportunities—and we need a lot of opportunities because we don’t really shoot the ball particularly well,” said head coach Chot Reyes.
PBA score: TNT vs Rain or Shine
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FINAL: TNT nails the door shut for Rain or Shine as they take a 113-95 win to finish the semifinals series at 4-1. The Tropang Giga inch closer to defending their PBA Governors’ Cup title in the Finals.
TNT with a 56-39 halftime lead over Rain or Shine in Game 5 of their PBA Governors’ Cup semifinal series. The Tropang Giga need just one win to reach the Final.
PBA: Ginebra crushes San Miguel in Game 5 to close in on Finals berth
Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings rookie guard RJ Abarrientos during the PBA Governors’ Cup semifinals Game 5 against San Miguel Beermen. – PBA Images
ANTIPOLO — Barangay Ginebra, save for a laughable first quarter, played full throttle on Friday night, thrashing San Miguel, 121-92, to move a win away from a PBA Governors’ Cup Finals berth.
The Gin Kings erased a 13-point deficit in the first period and never looked back in Game 5 at Ynares Center here.
“They came out with guns blazing in the beginning of the game. Just like Game 4 all over again, they just came out firing. A lot of worry in the time outs but we kind of got settled,” head coach Tim Cone said.
PBA scores: San Miguel vs Ginebra
WATCH: The crowd outside of Ynares Center here in Antipolo City before tonight’s PBA Governors’ Cup semifinals.
Barangay Ginebra and San Miguel Beer break their 2-2 tie in a few moments while TNT aims to make the Finals at the expense of Rain or Shine. | @jonasterradoINQ pic.twitter.com/7uHdIReMFQ
— INQUIRER Sports (@INQUIRERSports) October 18, 2024
PBA: Rey Nambatac hopes to finally play in title series
If TNT succeeds in its first chance at finishing off Rain or Shine and advance to the PBA Governors’ Cup Finals, Rey Nambatac will finally get to check one item off his bucket list.
And even if it that comes at the expense of his former team, which he still holds in high regard.
“If not for Rain or Shine, I wouldn’t be in this situation,” Nambatac said in Filipino during the earlier part of the semifinal series, which now has the Tropang Giga ahead 3-1 and within a win of closing out the ElastoPainters.
The two teams clash anew in Game 5 at 7:30 p.m. on Friday at Ynares Center in Antipolo City.
PBA: ‘SMB basketball’ quells Ginebra’s ‘Never Say Die’ spirit in Game 4
San Miguel star June Mar Fajardo during the PBA Governors’ Cup semifinals against Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings. –PBA IMAGES
MANILA, Philippines—San Miguel Beer star June Mar Fajardo felt Ginebra’s “Never Say Die” spirit in Game 4 of the PBA Governors’ Cup semifinals at Araneta Coliseum on Wednesday but it was him and the Beermen who had the last laugh.
The Beermen pulled away from the Gin Kings, 131-121, but not without some late-game scares from the Ginebra side.
“That’s why they’re called ’Never Say Die,’ they don’t quit,” said Fajardo in Filipino.
“So it’s good that we got this win. We executed our plays and we just played San Miguel basketball, which is why we won this one.”
PBA: Ginebra ‘team effort’ needed to stop San Miguel twin towers
San Miguel Beermen import EJ Anosike against Ginebra defenders in Game 4 of the PBA Governors’ Cup semifinals. –PBA IMAGES
MANILA, Philippines—Scottie Thompson knows Barangay Ginebra needs do to a lot more to stop San Miguel Beer’s most formidable weapons in the form of twin towers June Mar Fajardo and EJ Anosike.
After the Gin Kings’ 131-121 Game 4 loss in Game 4 of the PBA Governors’ Cup semifinals, Thompson rued his team’s foiled attempts to slow down Fajardo and Anosike in their best-of-seven series so far.
“We’re like the underdogs inside [the paint],” said Thompson in Filipino at Araneta Coliseum on Wednesday.
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