Baragay Ginebra San Miguel’s Stephen Holt (right) and TNT Tropang GIGA’s Calvin Oftana (left) battling for the ball during their PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup Finals Game 2 clash. Photo from PBA Images.MANILA — Barangay Ginebra San Miguel survived the TNT Tropang GIGA to tie the PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup Finals at one game apiece.

Despite seeing their nine-point advantage early in the last period transform into a 70-67 TNT lead with only two minutes left in the game, the Tim Cone-coached squad managed to escape with a one-point win to avoid a 0-2 hole.

As expected, it was Justin Brownlee who made four straight points to lift Ginebra and give them the much-needed lead with only 46 ticks left, but it was on the opposite end wherein the Gin Kings made their mark.

They forced Tropang GIGA star Rondae Hollis-Jefferson into a shot clock violation in their following possession, and Ginebra also made the NBA veteran attempt a tough jumper in hopes of winning the contest at the buzzer.

READ: Ginebra locks down RHJ late, edges TNT in Game 2

“We know that they’re gonna take the ball to Rondae,” shared Cone during the postgame presser at the Mall of Asia on Sunday.

The winningest coach in PBA history credited his troops’ efforts on the defensive side, saying that it was the mentality that they pushed for heading into Game 2.

“Stephen [Holt] did a great job of containing him, and we did a good job of covering him. No one’s gonna take RHJ 1-on-1, so it’s a team defense,” he added.

Unlike in their semifinals series vs. the NorthPort Batang Pier wherein every game but one was a blowout, Coach Tim acknowledged that TNT is coming off a tough encounter with the Rain Or Shine ElastoPainters in their own duel.

“We came from a series in which we were allowed to do anything that we wanted offensively,” said Cone. “There was no real gut it out type of possessions, big plays down the stretch, and in the meantime, TNT was doing that with Rain Or Shine.”

That is why coming into Game 1, Cone admitted to having been outplayed and outcoached by Chot Reyes and the Tropang GIGA.

“In the first game’s first quarter, we came out thinking that we will just be able to do what we wanted,” he said. “But they’re just too tough of a defensive team.”

But instead of dwelling on that, the Gilas Pilipinas mentor shared that it became a wake-up call for the Barangay.

“So we came back tonight saying: ‘Hey, we finished No.1 in defense in this conference, we can turn the tide and bring our own defense to the game,’” Cone said.

This message manifested well for Ginebra not only in the endgame, but also in the second frame wherein they locked up TNT by holding them to only four points on 2-of-22 shooting from the hardwood (9.1% FG).

“Did we expect to hold them to four points in the second quarter? No, but a lot of that came from us forcing them to rushed shots, they weren’t open looks, so it’s all credit to Stephen and Jamie [Malonzo],” he shared.

“There was no magic in the words that I might have said. These guys just showed true grit all the way. We knew that if we want to have a chance in this series, we’re gonna have to show that character and that true grit.”

Moving forward, Coach Tim understands how Reyes will make adjustments for TNT, so it will now just be up for Ginebra to turn things up further on both defense and offense.

“We’ll see what happens in Game 3, if we can continue that,” he said. “There are gonna be adjustments from TNT, but I think there is a chance for us to play better offensively. If we can do that, maybe we can get Game 3.”