TNT swept Pool D to secure an outright quarterfinal berth in the men’s division of the Asia Tour 3×3 on Saturday at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall.
The reigning PBA 3×3 grand slam champions narrowly defeated the towering The Performance Lab, 21-15, to be one of the first four teams to advance to the final eight.
Samboy de Leon caught fire with his six points, built on two deuces before Beninese big man Raoul Odou sealed the deal with an undergoal stab with 2:34 remaining.
It was a significant follow-up for TNT, as they earlier clipped Harimau Malaysia B, 21-13, to be the only Filipino team to go unbeaten in their group.
VN Red & Gold, Harimau Malaysia A, and Rising Star were the other unbeaten teams that booked outright quarterfinal tickets in this tournament, which has SM as a venue partner, Smart as a broadcast partner, and Wilson as the official game ball, with Heritage Hotel, Fiber Kinetics, Gatorade, Healthy & Pure Brand Water, Center for Culinary Arts, and Spurway Enterprises as sponsors.
The Vietnamese ruled Pool C after a 19-12 win over Singapore Lion and a close 21-18 escape from Cavitex Braves. Harimau A dominated Pool A with a 21-8 rout over Zamboanga Valientes and a 22-11 blowout of Gameville, while the Malaysian youth crew Rising Star stunned Happy Hotels, 20-15, and Demigod, 21-13, to reign in Pool B.
The knockout quarterfinal games will start at 2 p.m. on Sunday. Harimau A will take on Cavitex, which took down Demigod, 19-18; TNT will face Happy Hotels, which trounced Singapore Lion, 20-12; VN Red & Gold will meet Zamboanga Valientes, which clipped Harimau B, 21-16; and Rising Star will collide with The Performance Lab, which blasted Gameville, 21-10.
