Barangay Ginebra put up its best offensive performance of the 2024 PBA Governors' Cup finals with a 106-92 victory over TNT to tie the series up at 2-2.
Ginebra finally cracked the century mark against the mighty defense of TNT after averaging just 85.7 points in their first three games. They were able to withstand Calvin Oftana's best scoring game of 26 points on 71.4 TS% and another Rondae Hollis-Jefferson's 28 points on 57% (4-7) from 3-point range.
Let's take a look at how Ginebra poked through TNT's defense and what they have figured out in the series.
Brownlee's breakout game features pick-and-rolls
It has been a rough few weeks for Justin Brownlee, as TNT found a way to shut him down during their first three games. His averages of 20 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists on 49.9 TS% is considerably lower than his usual standards. However, Brownlee started to show some life in the final quarter of Game 3, where he drained his first 3-pointer of the series. That confidence he gained carried over in the ensuing game and helped lead Ginebra to consecutive wins.
After awarding the Best Import plum for this conference to his counterpart Hollis-Jefferson prior to tip-off, Brownlee showed up ready. He showed why he has been the gold standard of imports in this decade, pouring in 15 points in the first quarter and set the tone for Ginebra's offense. He finished the contest with 34 points on just 16 shots -- including two 4-pointers on an efficient 93.4 TS%.
"Justin is usually a good starter, especially in big games. He knows how important he is to set the tempo and give confidence to the rest of his team," Ginebra head coach Tim Cone said.
Cone said he diagrammed plays for Brownlee outside of their usual regular triangle offense to get him going. His looks came easier and the plays allowed him to find open spots on the floor where he could capitalize.
"We ran some sets for him outside of the triangle early to get him going, but the beauty of his game is he does it through our offensive process," Cone added.
As the game went on, Ginebra ran more pick-and-rolls -- whether it was a simple high ball screen or adding a variation of Spain or Stack PnR -- and added the wrinkle of having a guard back screener to confuse TNT's coverage.
Possessions where Brownlee was involved proved to become a predicament for TNT. Their base scheme on guarding Ginebra in these actions had been switching. This moved Hollis-Jefferson out of the picture as the guard he defended clears out to let Brownlee take advantage against a smaller defender.
It has put TNT's ability to rotate in a conundrum by sending help towards Brownlee, opening up wide open kick outs to the perimeter. Ginebra had their best shooting game from rainbow country at 45% (9-20) for this game.
Stephen Holt and Maverick Ahanmisi maximize opportunities
The pick-and-roll game has also opened up chances for players like Stephen Holt and Maverick Ahanmisi to attack a tilted defense.
Holt's 18 points on 56.7 TS% was vital in forcing TNT to vary its schemes while guarding Ginebra's offense. His efficient shooting and defensive energy helped take pressure off his teammates -- allowing them to focus on their roles while he handled the dual responsibility of scoring drives and wide open 3s and slowing down the newly minted Best Import of this conference.
"At the end of the day, it's just my competitive spirit. I just got to continue showing leadership, leading my guys on the defensive end, and not get discouraged when Rondae [Hollis-Jefferson] hits a tough shot," Holt said on how he has approached the finals so far.
Having been tagged as the import stopper of Ginebra for this conference, Holt displayed that he's capable of being relied on defense, as he recorded a team-high five steals in this game. Though the first few games have been rough for him offensively, these stops Holt has generated is what Ginebra needed and will continue to ask from him if they want to seize the lead in this series.
"Just trying to get the deflections within the team concept. This is one of the things I can rely on when things are going good or bad for me," Holt said regarding his five steals in Game 4.
Ahanmisi has also benefited from TNT's aggressive switching -- as he made them pay by putting up 18 points, eight rebounds, and three assists on 91.1 TS%. His readiness to shoot when Brownlee or any Ginebra player is able to touch the paint was key in punishing a collapsed defense.
He made a dagger four-point play to put the game away and swung momentum fully in Ginebra's favor, showcasing his confidence and clutch shooting when it mattered most.
"We made big shots when we needed to. Looks like they were ready to make a run at us, we changed the momentum and made a big shot," Cone on how both Holt and Ahanmisi made big shots down the stretch.