Mikey Williams captures second Finals MVP plum in second title with TNT

When it mattered most, Mikey Williams made sure he showed up.

That's what the Filipino-American guard did for the TNT Tropang Giga as they captured the 2023 PBA Governors' Cup crown on Friday, their first title since the 2021 Philippine Cup.

In both of those title runs, it was the sweet-shooting Williams that earned the Finals MVP award.

Williams on Friday erupted for a game-high 38 points, including a scintillating 9-of-18 shooting performance from rainbow country to lead his team in the title-clinching Game 6 against defending champion Barangay Ginebra San Miguel.

His off-the-glass triple at the 1:15 mark of the fourth quarter also proved crucial as TNT eked out a 97-93 victory to bag their first-ever Governors' Cup title in franchise history.

For the series, he averaged 22.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game. He also knocked down 5.2 three-pointers per game while shooting 44.9-percent from beyond the arc.

Williams also won the same award back in 2021, when TNT defeated Magnolia in the All-Filipino Finals, 4-1.

For Williams, this championship 'feels a lot better' than his first one in the PBA bubble in Bacolor, Pampanga.

"I'm definitely blessed and honored to play with the group of guys that I do this season. They did a great job in executing the plan and the result was a championship," Williams said.

The presence of fans also made it more exciting for Williams.

"Just the thought of [having] them in the building. The excitement, everybody's happy, there's no better feeling than that," he said.

And TNT head coach Jojo Lastimosa lauded his player's contribution to this game.

"If you take away the 38 of Mikey, we would not have survived this game," said Lastimosa.

—Bea Micaller/JMB, GMA Integrated News