RONDAE HOLLIS-JEFFERSON has been delivering for TNT Tropang Giga for two reasons—he want to win the crown for both the Katropa and himself.
“I haven’t won a professional championship,” said the 28-year-old Hollis-Jefferson, who played for the Brooklyn Nets, Toronto Raptors and Portland Trailblazers from 2015 to 2021 before taking his talent to Turkey, Puerto Rico and South Korea last year.
“That’s the drive, the determination to do that has kept me in the zone,” added the 6-foot-6 former University of Arizona standout.
Hollis-Jefferson replaced Jalen Hudson and is averaging 31 points, 12 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 2.4 steals in his five games with TNT, which is 10-1 won-lost for a top-seed spot in the quarterfinals where it plays No. 8 Phoenix Super LPG starting on Wednesday holding a twice-to-beat advantage.
TNT beat defending champion Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, 114-105, in their last eliminations game with Hollis-Jefferson getting 34 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and four steals.
Hollis-Jefferson said he’s been focused on TNT since he arrived in the country.
“I don’t go outside my hotel except going to practice,” he said. “I work hard, pretty focused, and pretty determined. I feel like we are locked in and we are all focused from the coach down to the trainers.”
Juami Tiongson, meanwhile, topped the scoring department with 25.6 points after the elimination round of the Governors’ Cup despite Terrafirma exiting from the playoffs.
Barangay Ginebra big man Christian Standhardinger ranked second with averages of 22.9 points and 10.2 rebounds. He’s fifth in the assists with 6.0 to be a prime candidate for the Best Player of the Conference award.