TNT rolls past Ginebra in Game 1

ANTIPOLO—TNT leaned on a hot start then foiled Barangay Ginebra’s comeback try to pull away and secure a 104-88 victory in Game 1 of the PBA Governors’ Cup Finals held Sunday before a packed crowd at Ynares Center here.

Rey Nambatac, Poy Erram and Jayson Castro were among those instrumental in getting the Tropang Giga off to a good start in the best-of-seven affair after wearing down a Gin Kings side that spent the whole game trying to catch up after falling behind early in the series opener.

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Import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson had his all-around numbers as well and TNT, which also forced Ginebra to clank its outside shots, emerged victorious in front of 11,021 fans, a venue record for a PBA game.

READ: PBA Finals: TNT vets Jayson Castro, Erram shine in Game 1 victory

Hollis-Jefferson finished with 19 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and three blocks while Nambatac dropped 18 in the first Finals game of his PBA career.

But Erram and Castro may have provided the most important contributions that frustrated Ginebra.

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Erram put up 15 points and four rebounds while Castro scored 12 of his 14 in the third quarter, capitalizing on being guarded by Ginebra rookie RJ Abarrientos to score key baskets that enabled TNT to build a double-digit lead.

READ: PBA Finals: Nambatac shakes off first time jitters in TNT win

Justin Brownlee finished with 23 points while Japeth Aguilar had 14, scoring most of it in the first half after the Tropang Giga raced to a 15-2, in the loss as Ginebra looks to use the long break to make remedies.

Game 2 is set Wednesday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Also key in the result was TNT making 12 threes out of 30 attempts even as Ginebra missed its first 18 shots from that spot before finishing with a 2-of-21 clip.

Ginebra also made just one four-pointer on five attempts courtesy of Brownlee in the third when TNT’s lead was cut to four, 47-43.