TNT needed to stave off Macau in the endgame before coming away with the 119-112 decision in the bag to return to the win column of the PBA Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup at the SMART Araneta Coliseum on Friday evening.
The Tropang 5G witnessed the 10-point lead they erected approaching the game’s last five minutes become just one, 113-112, with 26.3 seconds left after the pesky Damian Chongqui and the Black Knights got going offensively.
Fortunately for the defending conference champions, the guest team couldn’t deliver the haymaker, with key cogs Jenning Leung and Phoenix Shackelford struggling to connect most especially from rainbow country.
Jordan Heading would go on to make perfect trips to the foul line inside the final 23.6 seconds, ultimately enabling the crew to leave with the narrow win, which put them back on track after bowing to Converge the last time out.
TNT improved to 6-3 in the process, keeping as well its aspirations of finishing among the Top Four, which merits a win-once quarterfinal incentive.
(C) PBA Images
“We just kept reminding the guys during the huddles, during timeouts, even when they’re making runs, just grind out,” said head coach Chot Reyes.
Bol Bol led the Tropa with 37 points and 14 rebounds, together with two assists and six of the team’s nine blocks. Heading tallied 20 points and eight rebounds as the two combined for 22 of their 31 points in the deciding period.
Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser finished with 17 and seven rebounds on the way to earning Player of the Game honors, as he was crucial in their 38-point third-quarter showing, leading the assault by pouring 12 of his output.
Calvin Oftana added 16 points and 10 rebounds as the crew, as a whole, bounced back from their woeful shooting against the FiberXers by converting 48.9-percent of their shots from the floor, including 10 three-pointers.
“Compared to the last game where we shot 10 percent from the three-point line, at least we made 30 percent of our three-point shots,” Reyes said.
“For me, that’s a little bit of progress. We were able to solve our offensive issues from the last game,” the decorated bench tactician added.
(C) PBA Images
Shackelford, on the other hand, had 31 points and 13 rebounds, while Damian Chongqui had 29 alongside five rebounds and eight assists as their conference-high performances led Macau in the comeback that fell just short.
Tony Mitchell had 19 points and 17 rebounds, while Chon Pong Lao chipped in 13 markers as the quartet led their offense after Leung struggled.
Coming off a career-high 32-point showing in their maiden win against Titan Ultra in their previous outing, the gunslinging guard only had seven points on a dismal 2-of-15 shooting from the field, with 12 of his attempts from the arcs.
Still, the Black Knights put up a gallant stand, in which they even enjoyed a 77-70 lead during the third before issuing the major endgame threat.
But they lost steam after closing by just a solitary point, and TNT would go on to show much better poise, sending their foes down to 1-8 in the standings.
“We made a few key stops that led to victory. But, again, we were lucky Leung missed several open threes that he normally makes,” said Reyes.
“That’s basketball. Last game kami naman ang hindi maka-shoot ng three points namin,” he added, “so I guess that’s just the way the ball bounces.”
The Scores:
TNT 119 – Bol 37, Heading 20, Ganuelas-Rosser 17, Oftana 16, Galinato 8, Castro 8, Aurin 7, Khobuntin 3, Enciso 3, Nambatac 0, Ferrer 0, Williams 0, Nava 0
Macau 112 – Shackelford 31, Chongqui 29, Mitchell 19, Lao 13, Cao 9, Leung 7, Lu 4, Chen 0.
Quarterscores: 24-25, 50-48, 88-85, 119-112.
