Rondae Hollis-Jefferson finishes strong in TNT's Game 1 quarterfinal win versus NLEX in the PBA Season 49 Governors' Cup.
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson would not be denied from taking matters into his own hands for TNT despite a slow start.
For the reinforcement, it was just about being able to push oneself more when the need arises.
“At the end of the day, it comes down to will power, that extra push, extra gear and kicking it into overdrive. Because at the end of the day, we're all going to slow down. Just kicking into overdrive,” Hollis-Jefferson told reporters in the aftermath of the Tropang Giga’s 107-102 Game 1 quarterfinal win at the expense of NLEX.
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Despite coughing up just four points in the opening frame, Hollis-Jefferson went on to explode for 41 markers in the final 36 minutes of action to help TNT come back from being down by as much as 13 points.
He complemented his offensive output with 10 rebounds and seven assists.
With Anthony Semerad serving as the Road Warriors' main defender against Hollis-Jefferson, the 29-year-old lefty banked on his vast experience playing overseas in reading the schemes against him.
“Being an import, you have gotten to see a lot of defenses. Them throwing different guys right at you; some pressure more than others. I think it was just about me seeing, I'm very good at [seeing] live action, how things are going," said Hollis-Jefferson.
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And when it’s time to dial up, RHJ made sure to find the perfect mix of scoring and doing the intangibles to help the Tropang Giga staged the comeback win.
“I didn’t want to force anything. I still wanted to assert my presence, but I don’t want to overdo it. So it's kind of trying to find that balance. I think that happened as the game went on," he said.