FINALS, or never say die?
TNT KaTropa is shoots for a berth in the championship round, while Barangay Ginebra tries to live for another day as the two teams collide yet again in their best-of-five semifinal showdown in the 2017 Philippine Basketball Association.
The Texters are up 2-1 and will once again look to break into the finals when they play the rejuvenated Gin Kings in Game 4 at 5 p.m. today at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City.
With its back against the wall, Ginebra banked on its never-say-die mantra to pull off an impressive 125-101 drubbing of TNT KaTropa in Game 3 Thursday night to stay alive in the series and finally chalk up a win.
Inspired by the presence of living legend Sonny Jaworski, who watched the game live at courtside to give his team a much-needed boost, the Gin Kings showed up with the requisite sense of urgency to stay alive.
For the first time in three games, everything went right for Ginebra as it took command from start to finish to ensure it remains alive.
“We played better on both ends. Our shots were falling and we got all the help we can get from him (Jaworski) and our crowd. Now, it’s about the next game. We’re looking for another win,” said Ginebra coach Tim Cone.
Justin Brownlee also had his best game of the series, scoring 31 points to pace the Gin Kings.
On the contrary, nothing turned out right for the Tropang Texters.
They weren’t able to get their groove and more importantly, they lost import Josh Smith to a sudden foot injury.
The hulking import only logged more than nine minutes of play in Game 3 after suddenly feeling pain in his foot, which caused him to go out of the game for good and head to the hospital for pre-cautionary measures.
While his status is still up in the air, Smith is expected to suit up in Game 4.
Still, the Tropang Texters have their second chance to move forward to the finals and they are looking to capitalize this time around and avoid a dangerous Game 5.
Meanwhile, San Miguel is looking to book the first ticket to the finals as it is trying to repeat over Star in their heated battle in Game 4 of their semis series, as of this report.
The Beermen are ahead, 2-1, and can return to the big stage while the Hotshots are hoping to extend the series to a deciding Game 5 tomorrow.