By: Leobert Julian A.de la Peña
TNT Katropa are on the verge of their first finals appearance since 2015 as they are one win away in eliminating defending champion Ginebra.
As the number one seed in this year’s PBA Commissioner’s Cup, they immediately proved why they are the best in the conference.
They obliterated Ginebra, 88-71, in their semifinal Game 2 showdown last July 28, 2019.
TNT leads the series two games to none, against a larger and more experienced Ginebra team.
It looks like TNT has found a beast in Terrence Jones, their import who formerly played in the NBA with the New Orleans Pelicans.
With Jones’ arrival, TNT only lost once in the eliminations and once in the playoffs.
Jones posted a monstrous triple-double performance the previous game – 15 points, 19 boards, and 10 dimes – showing the trust he has with his teammates given his assists total.
The prized import also slowed down former PBA Best Import Justin Brownlee, one of the keys for TNT’s victory.
Jones posted 4 rejections and 2 steals in Game 2, consistently providing tough interior defense and active hands.
In contrast, with the Gin kings in a 0-2 hole, they look to put out their best effort with a chance to defend their title.
The Tim Cone led squad will once again show the world the “never say die” attitude of Ginebra.
Both teams will clash today at 7 p.m. at the Mall of Asia Arena.