Hollis-Jefferson welcomes physicality in Finals series: 'I love it'
TNT import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson welcomed the increased physicality of their games against Barangay Ginebra especially with the seven-game Finals series now heading into its homestretch.
*Barangay Ginebra played a more physical defense in Game 5 in hopes to stop Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. (PBA Images)*
The intensified physicality between the two teams was highlighted with bodies sprawling all over the floor and players enduring some hard fouls and tough hits all throughout the Tropang Giga’s 104-95 win over the Kings in Game 5 of the 2023 PBA Governors’ Cup Finals A recipient of those rough acts was Hollis-Jefferson who expressed no qualms with the physical plays. In fact, he endured the tension and still dropped a triple-double of 32 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists. “I’m good. They played a lot more physical today, a lot of bumping and banging. But that’s how I grew up playing. I love it,” said Hollis-Jefferson. “If anything, it’s kind of taking them away from their focus, bumping me so much. So keep bumping me. I love it,” added the season-ending conference Best Import. The physicality seemingly did backfire to Ginebra as some of its key players in Jamie Malonzo and Scottie Thompson were hampered with foul trouble in the second half with five fouls each. The effort to play physical also seemed to take away the focus of the Kings offensively with their three-point shooting becoming a non-factor in the Game 5 loss. On the other hand, TNT managed to keep its head on the game even when the Tropang Giga fell behind by as many as 15 points in the first half – something that Hollis-Jefferson lauded his team for. “It was about being focused.The guys knew we need to stay locked in, we need to stay resilient, poised, and we need to be more aggressive,” said Hollis-Jefferson. “They were out hustling. They were playing more aggressively like they wanted to win, and we just had to take our time, take a deep breath, and relax. We had to relax and guys just zoned in. We started picking up the pressure, we started getting stops, and everything fell into place,” he explained.
*Barangay Ginebra played a more physical defense in Game 5 in hopes to stop Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. (PBA Images)*
The intensified physicality between the two teams was highlighted with bodies sprawling all over the floor and players enduring some hard fouls and tough hits all throughout the Tropang Giga’s 104-95 win over the Kings in Game 5 of the 2023 PBA Governors’ Cup Finals A recipient of those rough acts was Hollis-Jefferson who expressed no qualms with the physical plays. In fact, he endured the tension and still dropped a triple-double of 32 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists. “I’m good. They played a lot more physical today, a lot of bumping and banging. But that’s how I grew up playing. I love it,” said Hollis-Jefferson. “If anything, it’s kind of taking them away from their focus, bumping me so much. So keep bumping me. I love it,” added the season-ending conference Best Import. The physicality seemingly did backfire to Ginebra as some of its key players in Jamie Malonzo and Scottie Thompson were hampered with foul trouble in the second half with five fouls each. The effort to play physical also seemed to take away the focus of the Kings offensively with their three-point shooting becoming a non-factor in the Game 5 loss. On the other hand, TNT managed to keep its head on the game even when the Tropang Giga fell behind by as many as 15 points in the first half – something that Hollis-Jefferson lauded his team for. “It was about being focused.The guys knew we need to stay locked in, we need to stay resilient, poised, and we need to be more aggressive,” said Hollis-Jefferson. “They were out hustling. They were playing more aggressively like they wanted to win, and we just had to take our time, take a deep breath, and relax. We had to relax and guys just zoned in. We started picking up the pressure, we started getting stops, and everything fell into place,” he explained.