By REYNALD MAGALLON
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson played every single minute of Game 2 and yet there was simply no sign of fatigue whatsoever in his face as he was even seen smiling widely during a timeout late in the contest.
He was still in a pleasant mood and for good reasons.
TNT has taken a commanding 2-0 lead over Ginebra after a 96-84 victory in their PBA Season 49 Governors’ Cup Finals series at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Wednesday, Oct. 30.
Despite playing for the entire 48 minutes of the game, Hollis-Jefferson had plenty of gas left and even either scored or assisted on the Tropang Giga’s 12 of the last 13 points to keep the Kings at bay and move halfway through its bid for the title retention bid.
He exploded for 37 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists as he slammed the door on the comeback hopes of Ginebra with a booming triple late – one of his six conversions from deep – before finding a wide open Glenn Khobuntin for another trey that erected a 94-84 lead for TNT and served as the dagger to Ginebra with 1:33 left.
Calvin Oftana chipped in a double-double effort of 13 points and 14 rebounds while Khobuntin also had 13 built on three triples.
Only up by one, 72-71, TNT drilled back-to-back treys to open the final frame courtesy of Jayson Castro and RR Pogoy. Justin Brownlee provided an answer with a deuce but Hollis-Jefferson replied with a layup and a free throw for an 82-73 lead – a barrier that eventually would not be broken by Ginebra even with their efforts in the end.
Brownlee had 19 points and nine rebounds while Scottie Thompson stepped up with 18 points and nine rebounds. Stephen Holt and Japeth Aguilar had 11 apiece but the same problems from Game 1 haunted the Kings in Game 2 after shooting just 7-of-27 from the three-point territory.
Game 3 of the series is on Friday, Nov. 1 with the Tropang Giga aiming for an even more commanding 3-0 lead against the Kings.
The Scores :
TNT 96 – Hollis-Jefferson 37, Oftana 13, Khobuntin 13, Castro 9, Pogoy 9, Nambatac 6, Erram 4, Williams 3, Aurin 2.
GINEBRA 84 – Brownlee 19, Thompson 18, Holt 11, J.Aguilar 11, Abarrientos 7, Ahanmisi 7, Cu 7, Pinto 4.
QUARTERS : 19-23, 49-41, 72-71, 96-84
