The protagonists of the final are ready for the upcoming battle. —August dela Cruz
TNT and Barangay Ginebra renew their rivalry this Friday when they get into the final of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
Tropang Giga has won its last two championship duels with the Gin Kings, but without Cornerstone Jayson Castro and the Darlings crowd which merged at full power, the coach Chot Reyes is not too comfortable to be called the favorites in a race to the best of seven.
“I have already said it: I don’t think anyone can fill Jayson’s shoes. We therefore ask all the other players to give a little more and try to contribute a little more than what they usually do so that we can all try to compensate for the loss of Jayson, “he told the press conference of the series of titles in Kamay Kainan in Quezon City.
“The best we can do, really, is to hope that the effort of others is enough to cover Jayson who is not here with us,” he added.
Read: Pba: Ginebra, Jamie Malonzo is looking forward to returning to TNT in the final
Castro was injured in the knee in the series against Rain Shine last February and has since been closed for the rest of the season. He was the most precious player in the final when the last two clubs meet in the Governors Cup, making his absence even more shocking for the telecommunications club.
But TNT is much more than Castro. Even Ginebra’s coach Tim cone would be the first to say that.
Tropang Giga has shown that he is able to play well even without Castro, and a large part of this is thanks to Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, who has been just as an integral part of the last two supplies of the team.
“Rondae has just brought a huge mentality to this TNT team,” said CONE. “You know, it appears in every game. He presents himself each quarter, each possession. And he just inspires his teammates. And you could see it on the ground all the time.
But it is undeniable that the Gin Kings will benefit from a complete complement of weapons to come to the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
Ginebra, a rare traditional power to end a two -year drought, found Jamie Malonzo and Miah Gray from Sick Bay. The Gin Kings also won Troy Rosario, a former Pillar of TNT, for their campaign.
‘Two special players’
“With great difficulty,” said Reyes when he was asked to sail in a series with an old reliable on the other side.
“Troy brings much more than his skills and his talent to a game. His desire to do everything you need. He is a great teammate. So there is so much intangible when you talk about Troy. He was not there in our last finas, so it’s going to be an important factor, “he said.
“But Jamie too. Jamie will also be 100% at the moment. And this is another factor that we have to face. So it is a very big order for us. But these are the challenges that make a competition useful, right? When you are faced with very high chances, you always find ways to compete at least and give you a chance. And I think this is our mentality in this series, “he added.
And then, there is, of course, the tireless Justin Brownlee, who will try to end his period of personal drought against Good Pal and his naturalized compatriot in Hollis-Jefferson.
“Just two special players. And, you know, we are lucky right now in the PBA to be able to see these two guys go to each other, “said CONE.
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“These are important moments. I think that when we look back in ten years, you know, we remember those moments when rivalry was great between Justin and RHJ, “he added. Inq
