Barangay Ginebra and Rain or Shine Elasto Painters shook off recent stumbles, bouncing back to win their respective Game 3s in the semifinals of the 2024 PBA Governors' Cup.
Ginebra earned a hard-fought 99-94 victory -- giving them a 2-1 series lead over San Miguel Beermen, while Rain or Shine narrowly avoided a 0-3 deficit with a thrilling 110-109 win against TNT Tropang Giga after fending off a late-game rally.
Both teams showcased their resilience and adaptability, making key adjustments that secured these crucial wins.
Let's take a closer look at the strategies that propelled them to victory.
Ginebra's aggressive defense stifles San Miguel's offense
After a shootout in Game 2 that saw San Miguel come out on top, Ginebra knew they needed to tighten their defense to regain the series lead.
Against a powerhouse like San Miguel, it's all about choosing your battles. Ginebra stuck to that plan in the first three games, a strategy that paid off once again in their Game 3 win.
One key adjustment Ginebra made was switching their primary defender on San Miguel import EJ Anosike to Stephen Holt, while assigning Justin Brownlee to guard CJ Perez and offer extra defense at the post. Ginebra's defense was locked in, ready to rotate and scramble quickly to prevent breakdowns.
"We played playoff defense tonight, and I thought that was our key to winning this game," said head coach Tim Cone.
Scottie Thompson epitomized Ginebra's defensive effort. While the box score might not fully capture his impact, his hustle for loose balls and ability to disrupt San Miguel's guards was evident. Japeth Aguilar was also instrumental, limiting June Mar Fajardo to just 12 points on eight shot attempts.
Offensively, Ginebra's three-point shooting wasn't as sharp as in Game 1, but their signature ball movement remained strong, with 27 assists on 38 made shots. Brownlee led the charge, shooting 54.5% on two-pointers, scoring efficiently on cuts, drives, and post touches. Aguilar also benefited from entry passes in the paint as Ginebra's guards collapsed San Miguel's defense en route to creating open looks, scoring 22 points.
For San Miguel, the challenge is to better utilize their inside advantage. Despite hitting ten 3-pointers, it took them 32 attempts to do so. Anosike's isolation plays were largely ineffective, and he was reduced to taking jump shots in the fourth quarter, shooting 3-for-10 from distance -- a result that worked in Ginebra's favor every time.
Rain or Shine's shooting comes through
In their first seven playoff games, Rain or Shine struggled to showcase their usual identity as an efficient outside shooting and transition team.
The numbers highlighted their difficulties, with just 23.6% shooting from deep and being outscored by 40 points in fast-break situations. However, in Sunday's win over TNT, their offense finally clicked -- thanks to improved execution.
For the first time in the playoffs, Rain or Shine hit more than ten 3-pointers, shooting a solid 36.4% (12-33) from beyond the arc. Leonard Santillan played a crucial role in this resurgence, breaking out of his shooting slump with 20 points, including 4-of-7 from three.
This helped open up the paint for import Aaron Fuller, who returned to his efficient scoring, finishing with 26 points on 67% shooting. Rain or Shine benefited from playing stretch bigs like Santillan or Keith Datu alongside Fuller, which reduced the defensive attention from Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and allowed for cleaner offensive looks.
Defensively, while Rain or Shine struggled to contain TNT in the fourth quarter, their half-court defense showed promise. Jhonard Clarito's defense on Hollis-Jefferson was particularly commendable, limiting TNT's import to 23 points on just 39.1% shooting and frustrating him throughout the game. Of course, it did not come unnoticed by his own head coach Yeng Guiao.
"He's a dog. You give him an assignment, he's going to put his heart and soul into it," Guiao referring to Clarito's job of containing Hollis-Jefferson.
TNT, now narrowly missing a 3-0 series lead, has some adjustments to make.
The rebounding disparity was glaring, with Rain or Shine dominating 54-35 overall and 18-5 on the offensive glass. TNT also sorely missed Jayson Castro, whose absence led to a loss of stability in the second quarter, allowing Rain or Shine to build a sizable lead in the second quarter.
Moving forward, TNT will need to regain their defensive identity and turn the game into a low-scoring affair, as they've proven to be the top defensive team in the conference.