Photo credit: PBA

In a thrilling showdown Wednesday night, TNT Tropang Giga turned up the heat, taking a solid 2-0 lead over Barangay Ginebra in the PBA Governors' Cup finals. After their impressive series opener, the Tropang Giga once again outplayed Ginebra, clinching a 96-84 win at the Smart Araneta Coliseum and edging closer to defending their title from last season.

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson was on fire, dropping 37 points, snagging 13 rebounds, and dishing out seven assists. He was the driving force that helped TNT maintain control, even as Ginebra managed to hold their ground through three intense quarters. Despite the Kings’ solid start and early double-digit lead, the Tropang Giga’s resilience shone through, especially in the fourth quarter, where they ran away with the game.

After being outshot from the three-point line in Game 1, Ginebra found some rhythm early, connecting on seven three-pointers across the first three quarters. But in the final period, they lost steam, while TNT, led by Hollis-Jefferson, turned up the intensity and went on an 18-10 run. A few clutch three-pointers, including back-to-back treys from Jayson Castro and RR Pogoy, extended their lead and kept Ginebra out of reach.

Calvin Oftana and Glenn Khobuntin also brought their A-game, each scoring 13 points and showing up big in defense, especially against Ginebra’s star Justin Brownlee, who was limited to just 19 points.

As the teams prepare to clash again in a rare All Saints’ Day match this Friday, Coach Chot Reyes and TNT will be aiming to push their lead even further to 3-0. With only two more wins needed to secure the championship, the Tropang Giga are showing they’re all in for a back-to-back title run, while Ginebra will be fighting hard to keep their hopes alive in the series.