End or extend?

Barangay Ginebra is a win away from dethroning TNT and the war for the PBA Commissioner’s Cup crown could end in Game 6 of the Finals at the Smart Araneta Coliseum tonight. Coach Tim Cone, however, isn’t counting his chickens before they’re hatched. Ginebra has a twice-to-win advantage but TNT isn’t about to capitulate.

In the previous Commissioner’s Cup Finals, Ginebra had a 3-2 edge over TNT yet failed to clinch. The series went to a Game 7 which TNT took, 87-83 in OT. TNT won the last two encounters to bag the title. That’s what TNT has to do now to retain the championship. Justin Brownlee was on the losing side last season and his adversary was Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. This time, it’s Chris McCullough opposing JB.

Last Friday, JB was unstoppable in Game 5, scoring a career-high 54 points to lift Ginebra to a 100-95 OT win. JB fired 22 points in the fourth quarter and OT, compared to C-Mac’s 10. JB’s older than C-Mac by seven years but it didn’t show down the stretch. JB had a lot more gas in his tank when the smoke of battle cleared. C-Mac missed three free throws in OT while JB sank five-of-five from the line. It was a survival test of attrition. Cone rolled the dice and played JB, RJ Abarrientos, Troy Rosario, Scottie Thompson and Stephen Holt without relief in extension. C-Mac, Rey Nambatac and RR Pogoy went the entire distance in OT which Calvin Oftana sat out due to cramps.

JB, Thompson, C-Mac and Pogoy had no rest from the fourth quarter until the final buzzer. JB wound up playing 51:29 minutes and C-Mac, 51:35. JB, RJ and Thompson logged at least 45 minutes each. Only C-Mac clocked at least 45 with TNT. Ginebra was aggressive attacking the rim, scoring more paint points, 62-46 and going 22-of-29 from the line to TNT’s 11-of-17. C-Mac accounted for 13 of TNT’s 17 foul shots and flubbed six. TNT tried to win it from the perimeter and took 36.5 percent of its shots from three and four compared to Ginebra’s 22.9 percent. It led to TNT notching more perimeter points, 38-16 but it also meant a lower field goal percentage, 41.9 to Ginebra’s 44.6.

Fresh legs are crucial in Game 6. How much more can JB and C-Mac produce after an exhausting Game 5? Is Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser, who suffered a sprain and limited his minutes to 13:38 in Game 5, good to go? Thompson didn’t score in the fourth quarter and OT in Game 5 and Oftana sat out the entire extension. Will they be 100 percent tonight? RJ scored four of Ginebra’s last eight points with the other four he assisted in OT in Game 5. Will he do an encore? Will the series end in Game 6 or will there be a Game 7 on Wednesday? PBAologist Fidel Mangonon notes that 54 of 70 teams that enjoyed a 3-2 edge in a best-of-seven Finals went on to clinch or a 77 percent probability with 40 in Game 6 and 14 in Game 7. Average attendance in the Finals is 15,285 with the potential closer expected to set a new gate high tonight.