Just when I thought that Ginebra would sweep the semi-finals series of the PBA Governor's Cup and walk all the way to the finals, TNT pulls off a win to make this match-up exciting. Ginebra's 30-plus point blowout of game 1 is now an afterthought.
Coach Nash Racela has made great adjustments to TNT's game. One notable change is the aggressive double team on Greg Slaughter every time he posts up, forcing him to pass out instead of taking the shot. Another adjustment is the way Coach Racela used bigger guards like Pogoy and Reyes to preserve Jason Castro and also to try and take advantage of LA Tenorio at the post. These bigger guards also helped defend well against Ginebra's perimeter shooters.
I was also surprised at how the TNT changes made Joe Devance invisible in this game. He usually contributes well every time Ginebra wins. Perhaps using Tautua more and in combination with Kelly Williams instead of as his substitute has allowed TNT to match well with Ginebra's big line up. Semerad has also been a huge help on defense against Ginebra's import.
Coach Racela dug deep, using the entire TNT roster if I'm not mistaken. He even played an all-Filipino line up during the entire 3rd Quarter because their import was in foul trouble. And the local crew delivered, regaining their double digit-lead which they lost at the end of the 1st half. He was so confident, he used the rarely used guards to finish off the game, having built a double digit lead, despite the risk of a potential Ginebra comeback.
TNT was also fortunate that their treys were going in this time, compared to the first game. It's important for Pogoy, Rosario, and Castro's shots from beyond the arc to go in to prevent Ginebra from clogging up the lanes and gang rebounding. If Semarad's shots went in, TNT's lead would have been larger.
But make no mistake, Coach Tim Cone will make adjustments. So expect that this series might go all the way to game 5.
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