For about five tense minutes on Friday night, TNT looked stuck, uneasy under the lights of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals. Then Roger Pogoy got going.

Three consecutive three-pointers from Pogoy snapped TNT out of its funk, helping the team shake off an early slump and seize control of Game 1 against Barangay Ginebra. By the final buzzer, Pogoy had tallied 15 points, second only to import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson’s 34, as TNT secured a 95-89 victory at Mall of Asia Arena.

The foundation for the win, however, was laid long before the opening tip.

“It’s big that we were able to practice here yesterday,” Pogoy said, crediting a late-night shooting session with teammates Almond Vosotros and Ping Exciminiano.

Even before that, the seeds of confidence had been planted earlier in the week. On Tuesday, Pogoy and a few team staffers visited Jayson Castro in Guagua, Pampanga, where the injured TNT stalwart offered a simple but resonant message: “Don’t be afraid. Just play your game.”

That encouragement carried over to the game, with Pogoy, Calvin Oftana and Rey Nambatac vowing to step up in Castro’s absence. “We told each other that we cannot afford to have a bad game. We’re really needed,” Pogoy said.

Experimental rotations

The strategy worked. TNT’s hot shooting—14 three-pointers, twice as many as Ginebra’s—allowed the team to build an 18-point lead at its peak. Hollis-Jefferson, who had 23 points in the first half alone, provided the inside presence, while Pogoy’s shooting opened up the floor.

Ginebra, however, refused to go quietly.

Justin Brownlee and Scottie Thompson both delivered double-doubles, and head coach Tim Cone experimented with different rotations, notably giving extended minutes to Jeremiah Gray in the fourth quarter. But their efforts weren’t enough to erase TNT’s lead.

“I’m kinda tired of saying we were outplayed and outcoached,” Cone admitted postgame. “We got to change the narrative.”

Maintaining momentum

That will be the goal heading into Game 2 on Sunday. Ginebra will need to find a way to slow down Hollis-Jefferson, disrupt TNT’s perimeter shooting and get more production from key players. Troy Rosario, Jamie Malonzo and RJ Abarrientos all struggled offensively, and the Gin Kings will need contributions across the board to level the series.

For TNT, the challenge will be maintaining its momentum.

“We have to be better,” Hollis-Jefferson said, wary of Ginebra’s ability to adjust. “[We should] not let the lead drop, not let those mental lapses take over the game.”

TNT head coach Chot Reyes emphasized the importance of effort. “They are really working doubly hard to make it difficult for the other team. We know how offensively potent that squad is,” he said.

The series resumes on Sunday at Mall of Asia Arena, with TNT looking to tighten its grip on the championship while Ginebra aims to flip the script.