TNT stakes 5-game winning run vs Ginebra

ALL eyes are on TNT and Barangay Ginebra, which will be meeting for the first time in the PBA Season 49 Commissioner's Cup on Friday at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.Both squads faced off just a little over two months ago in titular duel, with the Tropang Giga beating the Gin Kings, 4-2, to capture their second straight Governors' Cup crown.Their highly-anticipated elimination round showdown begins at 7:30 p.m. with TNT staking its five-game winning run against a Ginebra side that edged Blackwater, 86-83, last Sunday.TNT coach Chot Reyes and his charges only have one day to prepare against Ginebra, since the team had to go through some anxious moments against a Robert Bolick-less NLEX, before emerging victorious, 94-87, on Wednesday.Reyes admitted that a lot has changed since they played Ginebra in the finals last November.Ginebra has gone through a roster upgrade after successfully luring veteran forward Troy Rosario who joined the team as a free agent.An added good news is the return of athletic wingman Jamie Malonzo from a nine-month absence due to calf injury.The 28-year-old Malonzo scored eight points and added three rebounds in his 10-minute exposure against Blackwater."It's gonna be a huge game for us. We have to play better than we played tonight (against NLEX). We will walk through stuff in practice, while they (Gin Kings) are going to be pretty well rested, so it's a good challenge for us to have," Reyes said.Interestingly, Rosario played for TNT during his first seven years in the PBA, winning a league title in the 2021 Philippine Cup, before being traded to Blackwater.He played two seasons for the Bossing, before opting for free agency when his contract expired at the end of the Governors' Cup last year. He then, signed a multi-year deal with Barangay Ginebra.A win by the Tropang Giga could push them to solo second place.On the other hand, the Gin Kings enter the game tied for fourth to sixth places with Eastern and Meralco with identical 6-3 records.Meanwhile, Eastern, coming off an 84-74 lynching of San Miguel Beer in their East Asia Super League home-and-away game last Wednesday, is favored to beat Terrafirma in their 5 p.m. match.The Hong Kong club team is itching to get back into PBA action since opening the brand new year with an 88-83 loss to Meralco on Jan. 5.The Dyip, meanwhile, remain winless in 10 starts, since coming off a 96-86 defeat at the hands of the Blackwater Bossing last Wednesday.