Rondae Hollis-Jefferson has TNT one win from a sweep. His 39-point, 15-rebound gem in a 91-73 rout of Magnolia on Wednesday at the Ynares Center in Antipolo gave the defending champions a 2-0 lead in the PBA Governors’ Cup quarterfinals.

TNT can finish the job Saturday in the best-of-five series, but coach Chot Reyes was more pleased with how his side kept the pressure on. The result was a wire-to-wire win.

Hollis-Jefferson Powers TNT Breakaway

Hollis-Jefferson also finished with two steals and three blocks as the Tropang 5G followed up their 92-70 win last Sunday. It was another sterling all-around effort from the star import.

The Hotshots’ 15-0 run across the middle quarters erased a 34-51 deficit and cut the gap to two. Hollis-Jefferson answered with 11 points in a 21-4 counter that lifted TNT to a 72-53 lead.

He added five more points to help build an 84-60 advantage before leaving for good. Magnolia was backing off him, and as Reyes put it, “he just did what great players do, he countered.”

Defense Carries TNT Past Magnolia

TNT held Magnolia to 25-of-74 shooting, including five triples, after limiting the Group B topnotcher to 28-of-74 and three triples in Game 1. Reyes said the shooters struggled, but the defense carried the team.

“On our board one word was on top and that was ‘better,’” Reyes related. The coach wanted better effort, defense, concentration and communication than in Game 1, and his team delivered.

KJ Buffen led Magnolia with 24 points and 13 rebounds. Zavier Lucero added 16 points and nine rebounds before foul trouble sidelined him late. Magnolia must now win Saturday to keep its season alive.