BARANGAY Ginebra and TNT begin their PBA Season 49 Governors' Cup best-of-seven title series as Game 1 unwraps on Sunday at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.
Game time is 7:30 p.m. with both squads heading to the Finals fresh after coming off a weeklong respite.
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson will be leading TNT, which under coach Chot Reyes has turned into the tournament's best defensive squad.
The former Arizona standout led the Tropang Giga to the 2023 Governors' Cup crown when then-manager-turned-coach Jojo Lastimosa was calling shots.
TNT beat Ginebra in that series, 4-2, marking Justin Brownlee's first Finals loss with Ginebra as its import.
But for coach Chot Reyes, anything that has to do with the past is done and over with.
"Just very, very happy to be here to play against a tough team, an excellent coach," said Reyes, referring to Ginebra's Tim Cone, who he refers to as his coaching mentor. "I think in the end, everything boils down to how the players execute and the team that's able to exert their own style of play and their will on the basketball court [will prevail]."
The Tropang Giga reached the Finals after dominating the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, 4-1, in their semifinal series.
The Gin Kings, meanwhile, subdued the San Miguel Beermen, 4-2, in their own semis pairing.
Ginebra is eyeing its eighth championship since Cone came at the helm in 2015 and banner No. 16 overall.
On the other hand, TNT will be eyeing its 10th league title.
TNT has a solid core made up of sweet-shooting forwards RR Pogoy and Calvin Oftana, offseason acquisition Rey Nambatac, who has provided solid scoring and at times, playmaking, while veteran big man Poy Erram is finally healthy again and has contributed well during the playoffs.
Veteran stars Jayson Castro and Kelly Williams still feel sole aches and pains due to long PBA mileage on their legs and knees, but the TNT veteran duo remain deadly on the court.
Sophomore guard Kim Aurin and Glenn Khobuntin count in as key reserves who can score in bunches when the need arises.
The Gin Kings though remain a loaded squad with Brownlee and one-time MVP Scottie Thompson leading the charge along with Japeth Aguilar, Stephen Holt, Maverick Ahanmisi and rookie RJ Abarrientos.
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