Rondae Hollis-Jefferson made Ginebra pay as he unloaded 37 points to lead TNT to a Game 2 victory in the PBA Governors' Cup Finals.
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson was a man on a mission in TNT’s 96-84 victory over Ginebra in Game 2 of the PBA Governors’ Cup Finals at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao on Wednesday, Oct. 30.
The Tropang Giga super import exploded from beyond the arc for six triples en route to a 37-point outing he topped with 13 rebounds and seven assists in all 48 minutes of action.
For Hollis-Jefferson, the mindset to take the treys comes from his experience facing the Tim Cone-led Gilas Pilipinas in the 2023 Asian Games, where Jordan settled for a silver medal.
“In the Asian Games, they forced me to shoot a lot of threes, and they beat us for the gold medal game,” Hollis-Jefferson said during the post-game press conference. “We talked about that, and I just shifted my mindset."
“I guess they thought that it was a fluke or it wouldn't happen, but I'm a professional player. I work on it every day and I believe in it. My teammates, coaches, they believe in it. They told me to shoot,” he added.
To make his performance all the more impressive, RHJ played had no rest as he was on the court the entire match — a decision agreed upon by him and head coach Chot Reyes.
“It also comes with the work ethic, putting in that extra work, cardio, not being afraid to do cardio on your off-seasons, running, not touching the basketball [in] some workouts,” Hollis-Jefferson explained.
“Chot [Reyes] is big on being in shape, so I know I can't come to the season catching my breath, so when I come here, I just got to be ready,” he added.
[WATCH: Rondae Hollis-Jefferson fires 37 points in TNT's Game 2 win against Ginebra | PBA Highlights]
While RHJ rightfully earned the spotlight, his teammates also stepped up to the plate with Calvin Oftana and Glenn Khobuntin contributing 13 points apiece. Jayson Castro and RR Pogoy also had nine markers in the win.
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (right) of TNT wins the Game 2 matchup between him and Ginebra's Justin Brownlee (left). | Photo (c) RM Chua/One Sports
Justin Brownlee led the way for the Gin Kings with 19 points, nine rebounds and three assists. But his scoring output was a far cry from his usual.
Scottie Thompson had 18 points and nine rebounds, while Japeth Aguilar and Stephen Holt put up 11 points.
[RELATED STORY: TNT repeats over Ginebra, takes Game 2 of PBA Finals series]
Ginebra will try to break out of the slump when it takes on TNT anew in Game 3 on Friday, Nov. 1, at the same venue.
The Scores:
TNT 96 – Hollis-Jefferson 37, Oftana 13, Khobuntin 13, Castro 9, Pogoy 9, Nambatac 6, Eram 4, Williams 3, Aurin 2, Heruela 0, Payawal 0, Galinato 0.
GINEBRA 84 – Brownlee 19, Thompson 18, J.Aguilar 11, Holt 11, Abarrientos 7, Ahanmisi 7, Cu 7, Pinto 4, Tenorio 0, Pessumal 0, Mariano 0, Adamos 0.
Quarterscores: 19-23, 49-41, 72-71, 96-84