The TNT Katropa had to overcome a gutsy Globalport Batang Pier rally in the final period to escape with a 95-90 victory in Game 2 of their 2017 PBA Philippine Cup quarterfinal series, Monday night at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum.
The victory propels TNT to the semifinals of the All-Filipino cup, where they will face the San Miguel Beermen later this week to tip off their semifinal series.
Ranidel De Ocampo paced TNT with 25 points on an excellent 7-of-10 clip. Mo Tautuaa made 14 markers, while Troy Rosario supplied 12 points and 11 rebounds.
“I lost track of the production of Terrence [Romeo] and [Stanley] Pringle,” admitted TNT coach Nash Racela on the match. “We tried to defend Pringle and Romeo, but we gave up a lot of baskets to the other guys, specifically [JR] Quinahan.”
As Racela had rued, Romeo finished the game with 22 markers — scoring just three in the second half — on 5-of-23 shooting to go along with seven rebounds. Pringle, meanwhile, dropped 19 on an 8-of-12 clip.
But JR Quiñahan, Globalport’s lifeline in the closing moments of the fourth, made 17 points despite shooting just 4-of-15. He also grabbed nine boards to flirt with a double-double.
“That’s a good counter by coach Franz [Pumaren]. We tried to be ready for the counters but we weren’t too successful defending that,” lamented Racela on the mentioned players’ production.
After being down by 17, 76-59, late in the third canto, the Batang Pier then went on a 26-8 scoring tear anchored by Romeo, Pringle, Cortez and JR Quiñahan to turn the tides in their favor, 85-84, with 5:10 left in the final frame.
TNT were then lifted by Pogoy and De Ocampo’s baskets to gain much-needed leverage, 91-87, with 1:04 remaining. Globalport proved to be gutsy, though, as Quiñahan converted a three-point play to close in once more, 91-90.
However, that proved to be the closest Globalport would get. With a Kelly Williams put-back off a Pogoy miss, a pair of De Ocampo charities, plus a key Romeo turnover, the Katropa were able to seal the narrow victory.
“Good thing our veterans stepped up today — Ranidel and Kelly. It’s actually the key for us to win, veterans stepping forward and delivering,” said Racela.
Cortez, for Globalport, finished with 10 markers in the loss that kicked them out of the playoffs.
As a team, TNT made 34 of their 76 attempts from the floor. They also sank 16 turnover points off Globalport’s 17 TOs. However, they barely won the rebounding battle, 49-48, for a 14-8 second chance points advantage.
The Scores:
TNT (95) – De Ocampo 25, Tautuaa 14, Rosario 12, Fonacier 10, Williams 10, Castro 9, Rosales 8, Pogoy 5, Rosser 2, Reyes 0, Carey 0, Tamsi 0.
Globalport (90) – Romeo 22, Pringle 19, Quinahan 17, Cortez 10, Canaleta 7, Semerad 7, Maierhofer 4, Mamaril 2, Paredes 2, Urbiztondo 0, Pessumal 0, Andrada 0, Pennisi 0.
Quarterscores: 30-22, 48-41, 76-67, 95-90
