Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Kelly Williams, and RR Pogoy took over in the final three minutes to power the TNT Tropang Giga to a 95-85 victory over the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Gin Kings, clinching their second consecutive Governors’ Cup title on Friday night at the Araneta Coliseum.
With the game tied at 85, Hollis-Jefferson ignited the Tropang Giga with back-to-back baskets, pushing them to an 89-85 lead with 2:32 remaining. The Gin Kings failed to respond, missing crucial outside shots, allowing Williams to further stretch the lead to 91-85 with a layup at the 1:20 mark.
Pogoy’s three-pointer with just 52.4 seconds left put the game out of reach, sending the crowd of 14,682 fans into an electrifying celebration as the Tropang Giga sealed their victory with a 94-85 edge.
“I just want to thank my teammates. Without them, none of this would happen. It’s amazing,” said Hollis-Jefferson, who capped the game with an impressive 31 points, 16 rebounds, and eight assists.
TNT’s gritty performance in the fourth quarter helped them overcome a third-quarter deficit, as Ginebra led 74-66 at one point. Hollis-Jefferson and Pogoy combined for 19 points in the final period to propel the Tropang Giga past Ginebra’s resilient defense.
Williams tied the game at 85-all with a layup off an assist from Hollis-Jefferson, setting the stage for TNT’s final push. Despite RJ Abarrientos’ standout performance for the Gin Kings with a game-high 31 points, Ginebra could not regain their lead after Pogoy’s critical three-pointer at the 5:22 mark tied the game for the last time at 83-all.
Veteran playmakers Castro and Pogoy contributed 13 points each for TNT, while Ginebra’s Justine Brownlee finished with 16 points.
