Ginebra, TNT eye 3-0 semis bulge

BARANGAY Ginebra and TNT gun for a commanding 3-0 lead as both teams try to sustain their strong start in their respective PBA Season 49 Commissioner's Cup semifinal series on Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The Gin Kings dominated the NorthPort Batang Pier for the second straight time in the series after smothering the top seeded squad, 119-106, in Game 2 last Friday.

Ginebra took Game 1, 115-93.

Now, the league's most popular squad, sensing blood, shoots for a third straight win in the series when Ginebra clashes with NorthPort at 7:30 p.m.

"We felt we needed to come with a real disciplined approach to this game (last Friday) because there's a really good chance that we would step back and they would pick up their intensity. But our guys did a real good job staying disciplined," said Cone after that Game 2 victory where the Gin Kings led by as many as 34 points.

While Ginebra averaged 117 points in steamrolling past NorthPort for the first two games of the series, a big part of that has to do with the team's excellent defense against Arvin Tolentino.

The 6-foot-6 Tolentino, the leading candidate for the Best Player of the Conference, has struggled in the first two games of the semifinal series.

The former Ginebra stalwart-turned-NorthPort star averaged just 10.0 points on 7-of-28 shooting from the floor in the first two games.

But for the Batang Pier to get back into the series, Tolentino's supporting cast like Joshua Munzon, William Navarro, Fran Yu and Evan Nelle, will have to elevate their game.

Import Kadeem Jack has been the only consistent player for NorthPort after averaging 30 points, 11 rebounds and 1.5 assists in the first two games of the series.

Meanwhile, TNT will be gunning for a third straight win as well when it takes on Rain or Shine at 5 p.m.

The Tropang Giga took Game 2, 93-91, but not after losing veteran star Jayson Castro to a knee injury in the dying minutes.

The 2024-2025 Governors' Cup Finals Most Valuable Player twisted his ankle as he was going for a layup with just over three minutes to go in Game 2.

Castro, a many-time member of Gilas, was eventually stretchered out of the PhilSports Arena, with the prognosis not good.

Still, with a two game-to-nil lead, TNT still has Best Import candidate Rondae Hollis-Jefferson leading the way, along with Gilas mainstay Calvin Oftana, Roger Pogoy, Poy Erram and Kim Aurin.

But knowing coach Yeng Guiao, a known motivator, Rain or Shine could still spring some surprises as the team tries to get back into the series with import Deon Thompson, Andrei Caracut, Gian Mamuyac and Adrian Nocum leading the way.