By REYNALD MAGALLON
With the two teams all too familiar with each other already – especially after having gone through two Finals matchups in the past – and now for a second straight time, TNT head coach Chot Reyes and his import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson both agreed that there will be few factors that could easily determine the outcome of the series against Barangay Ginebra.
The willpower and the intangibles – or simply, a question of who wants it more. “We know each other. We played a lot of games against each other.
And I think it’s going to come down to willpower, who wants it more, things like that. Things you can’t really (coach),” said Hollis-Jefferson.
“Chot can give us 100 schemes. He can give us the best blueprint ever. But at the end of the day, it’s about who executes the best, who plays the hardest, who wants it more,” he added.
Talking from experience, the Tropang Giga certainly know what it takes to edge the Kings, having won the PBA Season 49 Governors’ Cup crown at Ginebra’s expense in six games. But the upcoming best-of-seven Finals series is an entirely different battle altogether.
For one, the Kings have added weapons since the last time they faced in the finals. Ginebra has added Troy Rosario through free agency and is also now welcoming back Jamie Malonzo and Jeremiah Gray.
At near full force, the Kings manhandled the top seed NorthPort Batang Pier in the semifinals, finishing them off in five games, with all of the victories all resulting in blowouts.
And that’s what makes Reyes believe that it’s almost imperative for TNT to put its best foot forward in the series which fires off on Friday, March 14 at the Mall of Asia Arena.
“If this series (vs Rain or Shine) was difficult, that next one is going to be maybe ten times even more difficult,” said Reyes.
“We need to rest and we need to find ways to make sure that we’re able to come out and play our best. That’s our only way to compete. If we play our best, we have a chance. It’s not sure, but at least we have a chance.”
“But if we do not play at our best, we have no chance against that kind of talent, against that good team.”
