MANILA, Philippines -- With TNT losing two straight games in the PBA Governors’ Cup Finals against Barangay Ginebra, old reliable Kelly Williams answered the call for the Tropang Giga.
The 42-year-old Williams, who started for the first time in Game 5, provided the spark for TNT, scoring seven points in the first quarter to set the tone early.
He finished with 11 points, all in the first half, on an efficient 5-of-8 shooting to go with three rebounds.
This is significant contribution to help TNT grab a 3-2 series lead after a 99-72 demolition on Wednesday night.
After the game, Tropang Giga head coach Chot Reyes said he talked to Williams before Game 5 and reiterated his trust in his veteran big man.
“So I said, you know, I'm going to trust you to come back and contribute for us, and I'm going to start you. We told them yesterday in the team meeting. And I trust that you're going to get the job done,” Reyes told reporters after the win.
“So, you know, we've been together for a long time, Kelly and I. We've built that strong trusting relationship. And I just told Kelly, I'm going to trust you to come in because we need Kelly Williams. We need Kelly Williams for us to have a chance, for us to be able to compete against a tough team, he added.
Prior to Game 5, Williams just scored a total of seven points in the series.
He also averaged less than 10 minutes per game and had a negative +- in all but one game – a +1 in Game 1 of the Finals.
“We all know what Kelly can do, right? He was just not in his usual game the entire series. So we just had a nice, good team conversation yesterday before practice. And it was just very, very straightforward. And I told Kelly we're not going to win the series without him contributing.” Reyes said.
“And he scored seven points. I think he ended up with 11. But Kelly's real contribution to us is his defensive ability and his energy. He does a lot of things for us defensively that's very important in our scheme of things,” he added.
“So we hope he can sustain it some more for the rest of the series.”
On Wednesday, five TNT players scored in double digits, led by Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and RR Pogoy. The former had 10 rebounds and three assists in 31 minutes of play, while the latter shot 5-of-8 from the field.
Calvin Oftana added 15 points and eight rebounds, while Jayson Castro had 10 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.
TNT will try to secure back-to-back championships in Game 6 at 7:30 p.m.on Friday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.