The TNT Tropang 5G squandered a 19-point advantage but held on strong in the final period, securing a 96-91 win and a 1-0 lead against the San Miguel Beermen in the PBA Philippine Cup Finals on January 21.
Here are the players who made the biggest impact and the stats to prove it:
TOP PERFORMERS OF THE DAY:
June Mar Fajardo SMB C 24 PTS | 17 REB | 1 BLK | 44.9 FPS
JMF has been dealing with a shoulder issue during the playoffs, but looked in top shape in Game 1, posting his fifth 20-point outing of the conference despite not making a single free throw. He also remained a force on the glass, recording at least 17 boards in seven of his last eight games.
Jaymar Perez SMB SF 16 PTS | 7 REB | 6 AST | 37.4 FPS
After averaging 25.5 points over his last four games against Ginebra, CJ struggled in Game 1 against TNT, shooting just 5-for-17 from the field. While he compensated with an elite all-around performance, SMB is at its most dangerous when ‘The Predator’ is clicking offensively.
Moala Tautuaa SMB C 22 PTS | 4 REB | 2 STL | 35.8 FPS
The big man has emerged as a key contributor lately and kept that momentum going in Game 1, posting his conference-high in scoring. With TNT focused on stopping JMF, he must continue to step up to give his team a better chance of tying the series.
Calvin John Oftana TNT SF 13 PTS | 10 REB | 5 AST | 33.5 FPS
Despite playing consistently in the elimination rounds and averaging 26.3 points in the first three games of the playoffs, Oftana has struggled at the worst possible time, averaging just 8.3 points in his last four while also committing five turnovers in each of his last two games.
Kelly Williams TNT C 15 PTS | 9 REB | 3 AST | 32.3 FPS
Williams delivered a vintage performance, falling just shy of a double-double while going up against JMF. He’s remained a solid contributor in rebounding but not so much in scoring, averaging 9 points in the playoffs.
Rey Benedict Nambatac TNT PG 11 PTS | 5 REB | 6 AST | 26.0 FPS
Nambatac provided a strong all-around effort, but for the team to maintain its series lead, he must become a more consistent scoring threat. So far in this conference, he’s averaging 8.5 points in two games against SMB.
John Rodney Brondial SMB C 10 PTS | 2 REB | 3 BLK | 24.4 FPS
Despite playing under 20 minutes in his last three games and recording a playoff-low in rebounds, Brondial still found a way to be effective, posting his second double-digit scoring game of the conference.
Jericho Xavier Cruz SMB SG 8 PTS | 5 AST | 2 STL | 23.9 FPS
In the last Philippine Cup Finals, Cruz was a game-changer, averaging nearly 14 points with 3.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists. While he didn’t have the same impact scoring-wise, he remained a reliable anchor providing solid numbers in the guard spot.
Jordan Timothy Heading TNT SG 13 PTS | 8 REB | 1 AST | 23.1 FPS
The sharpshooter had a modest scoring game, but he still made a big impact, tying his conference-high in rebounds. With Pogoy likely still sidelined for Game 2, TNT will continue to rely on him more on offense.
BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE DAY:
Celedonio Trollano SMB SF 4 PTS | 2 REB | 1 AST
Trollano struggled offensively, finishing 1-of-7 from the floor and 0-of-4 from three-point range. It was the fifth time at this conference that he had failed to score in double digits.
