There’s that certain satisfaction that Troy Rosario wasn’t shy to admit about when TNT ended Ginebra’s reign as king of the PBA Philippine Cup.
The Tropang Giga on Wednesday night overthrew the Barangay’s rule by way of an 84-71 victory, indeed a great way to avenge the heartbreak they suffered in the Clark bubble finale last year that saw them bow in five games.
“Siyempre masaya kasi bagong team, bagong conference, tapos yung team na nag-eliminate sa amin sa finals last conference ay tinalo namin,” said the 6-foot-7 forward, who finished with 15 points and five rebounds in the win.
It could be remembered that the MVP Group’s crown jewel was the favorite to win it all last year given the firepower it had, with big man Poy Erram coming in to join a unit that has Rosario, Jayson Castro, Roger Pogoy, and Ray Parks,
However, injuries came to hound the Tropa in the worst time possible. Parks and Castro got hurt and missed games in the finals, and their absence proved too big of a hole to fill in as another campaign ended in disappointment.
But then, a new season meant new hope. And morale went sky-high in TNT following the return of Chot Reyes at the helm.
For Rosario, lots of improvements came by, most importantly the team’s dynamics, which was evident with their on-court performances as it led to, well, wins — the Texters ended the eliminations as the top seed with a 10-1 card.
“Marami.
“Isa na dun yung team defense namin. Yung defense namin yung nagdala sa amin dito. We limited the opponent’s points. Talagang tulung-tulong sa depensa,” the 29-year-old product of National University offered.
“Sa opensa, kung sino lang ‘yung ma-open eh. Kung sino lang ‘yung may better shot, talagang ‘yun ‘yung tumitira,” he added.
Beyond the eagerness to get back on their tormentors, though, Rosario said that there’s also a sense of urgency to not waste their win-once incentive.
“‘Yung unang sinabi sa amin ni Coach kanina sa pre-game, yung urgency. How bad do we want it today?” he shared.
“Kasi alam namin na ‘pag binigyan namin sila ng chance, talagang 50-50 na yan pagdating ng second game.”
Now, TNT will await the winner between San Miguel Beer and NorthPort for their opponents in the semifinals. And whoever emerges victorious, Rosario knows that they will have their work cut out for them, especially for him.
That’s because both squads feature two of the league’s giants in reigning six-time MVP June Mar Fajardo and 7-foot center Greg Slaughter. But for the six-year pro, it would take a total team effort to contain his counterparts.
“Kailangan yung team defense namin,” he said.
“Talagang kakailanganin namin yung buong team para magkaroon ng chance sa kanila.”
