Barangay Ginebra San Miguel has shown that when the lights are brightest and the stakes highest, they rise to the occasion.

The history of Ginebra’s “Never Say Die” attitude is a rich one that spans four decades and they added to this lore in Game 3 of the 2024 PBA Governor’s Cup.

Facing Rondae Hollis-Jefferson–one of the best imports to grace the PBA in recent history–and the TNT Tropang Giga, Ginebra was at risk of falling into a 3-0 hole after a pair of lackluster performances to open the series. A loss would have been catastrophic for their title hopes, but Ginebra pulled off a gritty 85-73 victory to reduce TNT’s lead in this best-of-seven match-up to a much more manageable 2-1.

The effort of Ginebra, particularly on defense, made all the difference in Game 3. They limited the Tropang Giga to a mere 32.6% field goal shooting in the evening, with Hollis-Jefferson making only eight of his 26 field goal attempts. Furthermore, none of TNT’s local players were able to get going, with only Poy Erram shooting better than 50% during the contest. 

What seemed to have made a difference for Ginebra in their psyche was the decision of head coach Tim Cone to insert 40-year-old veteran LA Tenorio into the starting line-up in favor of Maverick Ahanmisi. 

Tenorio’s impact was electric, scoring seven points in the opening period. His play energized both his teammates and Ginebra’s rabid fanbase at the Araneta Coliseum, setting the tone for the rest of the evening. The 5’9 guard went on to finish with nine points and four steals, one of six Ginebra players to score at least nine in Game 3.

The change in starting line-up worked brilliantly for Cone as Ahamisi had a strong outing off the bench as well. The 33-year-old hit six-of-10 shots en route to finishing with 16 points, eight rebounds, an assist, and a steal in 31 minutes as a reserve.

Ginebra’s resident import Justin Brownlee had a brilliant two-way game as usual, leading the team with 18 points, 13 rebounds, four assists, a steal, and four blocks. After failing to make a three-pointer during the first two games, Brownlee finally made one halfway through the fourth quarter that gave them a four-point lead, 71-67. Brownlee’s long awaited first three-pointer of the series sparked a 17-6 closing run by Ginebra to secure the win in Game 3.

Scottie Thompson added 15 points, five rebounds, four assists, and a steal, while Japeth Aguilar and Stephen Holt chipped in with 10 points apiece.

Revitalized by this classic Ginebra win, they enter Game 4 with momentum on their side and a chance to tie this series at 2-2. Hollis-Jefferson and the Tropang Giga are surely going to make adjustments of their own and the rest of this finals match-up is expected to be a slugfest moving forward–exactly the kind of environment where “Never Say Die” thrives.