Scottie Thompson came up huge in clutch, scoring two big baskets before soaring for a rebound to complete an important defensive stop.

It was the guts. And more importantly the intangibles.

The one-time Most Valuable Player took over down the stretch as Barangay Ginebra frustrated TNT, 73-66, to surge ahead in the PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup Finals at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Sunday, March 23.

The Kings used a pivotal 12-2 run in the third frame to keep up with the Tropang Giga before Thompson provided the big plays – and Justin Brownlee the big shots – to move a win away from the championship after taking a 3-2 series lead.

Thompson and Brownlee actually combined for 14 of the team’s 16 points in the final frame with the former scoring on a drive and then a nifty bank shot both against Calvin Oftana to give Ginebra a 69-66 lead with 3:16 left.

The high flying guard then collected three straight rebounds as the Kings completed stops one after another – two of which resulted in two back-breaking floaters from Brownlee. 

Brownlee, after being limited to just two points in the first half, poured 16 of his 18 in the last two frames to go with his 12 rebounds and five assists.

Thompson, likewise, finished with a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds laced with five assists, two steals and a block.

While the two took care of the offense, it was a total team effort on the defensive end as the Kings held the Tropa scoreless in the final four minutes.

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson finished with 19 points but had to take 27 attempts – most of which were forced and under duress – to reach his output.

TNT, which looked completely in control after taking a 10-point lead at the half, completely collapsed in the second half with head coach Chot Reyes and temperamental center Poy Erram got into a heated exchange in one of the Tropang Giga’s timeouts in third.