MAKING better shots will allow the TNT Tropang Giga to bounce back in Game 2 of their best-of-seven series with the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Gin Kings.
Coach Jojo “Jolas” Lastimosa said this, moments after their rivals, the Gin Kings took Game 1 of their best-of-seven finals series in the 2023 Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup at the Araneta Coliseum on Sunday.
“Ganu’n talaga. Everybody plays defense in the finals. But if you don’t make your shots in the finals, there’s no way you can win,” said Lastimosa following their 90-102 setback.
The Tropang Giga’s 90-point tally was one of their lowest outputs for the season.
The squad had their conference-low when they experienced an 85-89 setback to the Gin Kings in the Commissioner’s Cup eliminations on Nov. 20 last year.
In the coming Game 2 on Wednesday, Lastimosa will be keeping his fingers crossed that the team will improve on their 38.9 percent field goal percentage in Game 1.
“As badly as we played, we still rallied, we still made runs. But we still trailed by a lot,” added Lastimosa.
Game 2 on Wednesday is set at 5:45 p.m. at the Big Dome, with the Gin Kings seeking to establish a 2-0 lead and the Tropang Giga eyeing the equalizer.
A big Ginebra crowd is expected to cheer for import Justin Brownlee.
The recently naturalized Brownlee spearheaded Ginebra’s efforts the last time around with 31 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and two blocks.
The Tropang Giga will once have Poy Erram manning the slot.
They lost control of the boards when Erram left the floor, after committing back-to-back fouls on Gin Kings’ cager Christian Standhardinger with 9:51 to go in the fourth quarter.
They badly need a big man after they lost one of their bigs, Justin Chua, a few minutes into the game due to a knee injury.