A record crowd, a statistical anomaly, and a finals debut to remember. Game 1 of the PBA Governors’ Cup Finals was one for the books.
The TNT Tropang Giga were clearly dialed in (pun intended) against Barangay Ginebra San Miguel in Game 1 of the PBA Governors’ Cup Finals.
Before an overflow crowd at the Ynares Center in Antipolo, the Tropang Giga opened their title defense with a masterful 104-88 victory to seize a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Game 2 is Wednesday at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum. But before we move on to that, here are three things that stood out in Game 1:
Record crowd in Antipolo
There’s something about the Ynares Center in Antipolo City. Nestled up in the slopes of the Sierra Madre, simply getting there is its own unique experience. It’s also a crackerbox arena that sits a little over 10,000, placing the crowd very close to the action. The viewing experience is a no-frills affair – no luxury boxes or cushioned seats or valet parking – but if you’re a true basketball fan, all this actually appeals to you in some way due to the raw energy that permeates from the crowd.
The city is used to visitors ascending on it every Holy Week, when devotees flock to the Antipolo Church by making the lung-busting trek up Sumulong Highway. But last Sunday, another type of devotion was on display as pilgrims of a different breed made their way to Ynares Center, their caravan of vehicles stretching from the town proper all the way down to Masinag, to catch Game 1.
And they turned out in droves, setting a new PBA attendance record at the venue: 11,021. That may seem small when compared to the venue records at the larger arenas, but it was a loud, intimate 11,000. The good news for Antipolo fans is Game 7, if it reaches that far, will also be in Ynares.
TNT defends the 3 ball
Entering the PBA Governors’ Cup Finals, Barangay Ginebra was the no. 1 team in 3-point field goal percentage (37.2%), and tied for no. 2 in total 3-pointers made (186, or an average of nearly 10 makes a game).
The Tropang Giga knew this, and patterned their game plan around it accordingly. They held the Gin Kings to a measly 2-for-21 output from beyond the arc, with Justin Brownlee, Stephen Holt and Maverick Ahanmisi combining for a 0-for-8 clunker.
“We know the strength of Ginebra,” TNT coach Chot Reyes said. “We’re a very data-driven team, so we looked at the numbers and we focused really on that, really taking away their strengths and making sure that we lean on what our strength really is, which is our ability to stop teams to play defense. So when we got off to that good start defensively, I think that set the tone for the game.
“There’s no secret to our game, it’s really our defense. So I thought our defense really won it for us tonight.”
Indeed, Ginebra’s 88-point output was way below their conference average of 106.5. The question going forward is whether TNT’s defense holds, or if these shooting statistics were just outliers.
Nambatac shines in finals debut
Among all players from both sides, TNT’s Rey Nambatac had gone the longest in the PBA without a finals appearance. Ever since the lefty guard was drafted by Rain or Shine in the first round of the 2017 rookie draft, he had never played in a finals game until Sunday.
Nambatac had a memorable finals debut, putting up a near-triple double of 18 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists, but afterwards he admitted to getting jittery as soon as he arrived at the venue.
“Actually, ang dami kong nararamdaman kanina pag pasok pa lang ng arena,” he said. “To be honest, kinakabahan talaga ako. Lalo nung opening na, kinabahan talaga ako eh. Parang nanghihina talaga ako. Good thing, na-overcome ko yun.
“Nung start ng game, first half, nandoon pa yung gigil ko eh. Hindi ko mahanap ang rhythm ko. Good thing, second half, unti-unti ko nang nakuha, ayun nagtuloy-tuloy na.”
Reyes acknowledged Nambatac’s importance to the team, even as he stressed the need to look ahead now to the all-important Game 2.
“Rey, we need a lot from him. That’s why we hope that he can sustain it. It’s just one game. It’s just one game. We know the inevitable is going to come back and make their adjustments, so we have to be prepared for Game 2.”
Banner Image by PBA Media Bureau.