Barangay Ginebra regained supremacy of the Philippine basketball world following its 88-76 triumph over tough rivals TNT in Game 7 of the PBA 50 Commissioner's Cup Finals last Wednesday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

 

The victory not only broke a three-year title drought for the Gin Kings, but also avenged their three straight finals defeats against the Chot Reyes-coached squad.

 

As Ginebra celebrates its 16th title overall in Asia's oldest professional basketball league, here are three takeaways from the Gin Kings' nerve-wracking Game 7 win.

 

 

Justin Brownlee, who contributed 30 points in Game 7, is a known focal point of offense for Ginebra, especially in clutch situations. But if the supporting local cast start to make their shots fall, the Gin Kings are nigh unbeatable.

 

This was particularly evident in Game 7 when three Ginebra locals scored in double figures. Scottie Thompson scooped a 19-point, 11-rebound double-double along with eight assists, helping him capture his third Finals MVP award. RJ Abarrientos and Troy Rosario also contributed in the winner-take-all contest, each dropping 13 points.

Photo: PBA Images 

 

This Game 7 is a prime example of Brownlee not needing to drop 50 points to carry Ginebra to victory. Even bench player Nards Pinto had his moment in the series decider, delivering a clutch triple after the scores went static for two minutes in the closing stages of the fourth quarter.

 

This victory showed how dangerous Ginebra is when they are not just a one-man team.

 

 

Coach Tim Cone's brilliance revealed itself in the latter quarters when his strategy against TNT import Chris McCullough started to pay off.

 

Instead of simply letting Brownlee handle the ball, he directed his big men Japeth Aguilar and Troy Rosario to attack the basket whenever McCullough was guarding the paint. This made the Tropang 5G more prone to fouls, resulting in early foul trouble for C-Mac.

Photo: PBA Images 

 

This was Cone's adjustment in Game 7 following Ginebra's collapse in Game 6, where McCullough's explosiveness took over late in the contest.

 

With McCullough hesitant to apply maximum pressure on the defensive end once he returned to the floor, it became easier for Ginebra to stage pick and roll sets and attack the basket with gusto.

 

 

Despite the heartbreaking loss, TNT's future remains bright as it found a new reliable scorer in Heading.

 

After McCullough was forced to sit on the bench following his fourth foul in the third canto, Heading kept Tropang 5G afloat by draining back-to-back triples to give TNT a seven-point lead.

 

He finished the game with 21 points and three rebounds, providing much-needed offensive support to McCullough in the absence of veteran guard Jayson Castro.

 

The sky is the limit for Heading, who has already proven himself to be a credible playmaker and scorer for Tropang 5G in the early stages of his PBA career.