Barangay Ginebra turned the tables on TNT with a gritty defensive showing, pulling off an 85-73 victory in Game 3. TNT leads the series 2-1.
In a surprising shift from their usual fast-paced, transition-heavy style, Ginebra embraced a slow, grinding tempo, playing right into TNT's own brand of basketball - and beating them at it. TNT managed just 73 points, its second-lowest output of the conference, shooting a meager 32.6% from the field.
Here's some takeaways on how Ginebra found the right notes to hit to get on the board in their series:
LA Tenorio and Joe Devance's increased minutes
After having a limited role throughout the conference, Ginebra head coach Tim Cone made the adjustment to put his veteran point guard LA Tenorio in the starting lineup to provide stability against the stout defense of TNT. This gamble became their way to set the tone early, paired with some defensive stops that he provided.
In his stint in the first quarter, Tenorio quickly made his impact on the defensive end with seven points to give Ginebra an extra boost in the scoring department. And having played with Scottie Thompson for numerous seasons, the trust of him delivering when the team needed him never wavered even with a lesser role now with Ginebra.
"I'm confident playing with kuya LA [Tenorio]. Alam na namin ['yung laro] ng isa't-isa and nandyan pa rin siya every game to guide me. He just knows how to win," Thompson said about playing alongside Tenorio in the starting lineup.
Although he can be considerably an easy target on defense, the 40-year-old Tenorio proved his agility and tenacity were anything but a hindrance, snagging four crucial steals that stymied TNT's offense in the half court. His veteran instincts and quick hands were pivotal, helping Ginebra lock down TNT and keep the game within their defensive grasp.
Another piece that proved to be vital in Ginebra's victory was Joe Devance. It surely was not a loud game from him if you check his box score stats, but his return after three games became key to buy Japeth Aguilar some rest and enabled their defensive coverages to have versatility.
On offense, he played as an offensive hub at post - being known as a pinpoint passer can punish smaller defenders. But his effective hedging on ball screen actions made the initial point of attack (POA) defender to recover - while Devance bothered the ball handler's options and decision-making in the pick-and-roll (PnR). In short, even a hobbled Devance just has the know-how of playing Ginebra basketball.
Ginebra benefitted from Devance's willingness to play through pain.
"He's doing every possible way to play and his teammates see and recognize that. I think that's really a huge message he's sending to our team," Cone said.
Ginebra back to being Ginebra
The primary adjustment of Ginebra was clear from the jump: play deliberate basketball and make it a half court game. According to InStat, TNT has scored 1.3 points per possession in transition in the first two games of the series - meaning it could be the right button to press to limit the chances for them to run. And just like the good old days, Ginebra knew how to play in mud, which was successful in Game 3 - with the help of the aforementioned Tenorio
"We want to set the tempo from the beginning of the game. We also felt that if LA can play 15 to 18 minutes that would extend our rotation and give more rest to our [main] guys," Cone said about the adjustments.
Ginebra's shot profile for today's game was also not the way they have played in the whole conference. With the current composition of the team, Ginebra has become a perimeter-oriented team that relied on outside shooting through their drive and kicks. However, it seemed like that they didn't force anything on the offensive end - evidenced by their lessened reliance from 3-point shots. Even if it was a long midrange shot or not, Ginebra just ensured they took the best shot available.
One player who particularly embodied that approach was Justin Brownlee. Though it wasn't his best shooting night, with just 18 points on the board, his efficiency improved to 50.3 TS%. Brownlee found ways to impact the game beyond his outside scoring, from driving to the basket, hitting mid range shots, making timely passes to crashing the boards and providing steady defense, showing his versatility and commitment to winning.
However, head coach Tim Cone thinks that they need to help the prolific import more in terms of regaining his offensive rhythm in the series.
"Usually if you do one thing on Justin [Brownlee], he figures it out right away. We're having a harder time doing that in this series," Cone said about TNT's excellent defense on Brownlee so far.
With Brownlee struggling, Ginebra's local crew stepped up big in Game 3, providing the offensive boost needed to break through TNT's tough defense. Scottie Thompson delivered a well-rounded performance, putting up 15 points, five rebounds, and four assists. Maverick Ahanmisi came off the bench and still had his best game of the series, scoring 16 points on an impressive 68 TS%.
Japeth Aguilar and Stephen Holt, balancing duties on both ends of the floor, each contributed 10 points - key contributions in a low-scoring contest. Aguilar was a force in the paint with two blocks, while Holt poured his energy into defending Hollis-Jefferson, holding him to 24 points on an inefficient 41.3 TS%.