The awesome three-point shooting of the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Gin Kings is among the concerns of TNT Tropang Giga coach Jojo Lastimosa.
Lastimosa feels that they have to address this area going into Game 4 of the 2023 Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup finals on Sunday evening at the Araneta Coliseum.
“You gotta look into their three-point shooting. Considering na nananalo sila sa three-point shooting, because that was the key,” said Lastimosa, after the Gin Kings got back at TNT, 117-103, to take the lead once again, 2-1.
In that game, the Tropang Giga unloaded five of 18 franchise record-high triples at the halfway mark of the fourth quarter to give the Gin Kings enough room to repulse the Tropang Giga.
Lastimosa observed that the Gin Kings have adjusted well after the Tropang Giga took Game 2 with a 95-82, in Game 2 last Wednesday.
“They felt they needed to score more, and they scored more. And even for us, we scored well,” added Lastimosa, who felt that the Gin Kings wouldn’t be able to sustain their outside shooting in that game all night long. But he was proven wrong.
In Game 2, Justine Brownlee and Jamie Malonzo knocked in two apiece during that crucial stretch, sparking a crucial 18-7 blast that allowed the Gin Kings to shatter an 88-all tie, and move away, 107-95, when it was over at the 4:34 mark.
The Tropang Giga shot 11 of 29 three-point attempts in that, with Michael Williams connecting with five.
Another deadly three-point specialist, Calvin Oftana, needs to step up for the Tropang Giga, according to Lastimosa.
“Hindi lang nawala, nawala talaga,” said Lastimosa, on Oftana, who managed only one triple during the match.
Gin Kings coach Tim Cone credited Stanley Pringle for stepping up in Game 3.
Pringle is the 11th player to make at least six consecutive treys in a game without missing a shot.
“We shot the ball real well tonight from different angles led by Stanley. Stanley kept us in the game, got us ahead, kept us in the game during the first half, and then hit big shots in the second half,” said Cone.