Right off the bat, TNT Tropang 5G coach Chot Reyes pulled a rabbit out of his hat to begin the PBA Philippine Cup Finals: He started Simon Enciso and Kim Aurin rather than two of his best players, Jordan Heading and Rey Nambatac.
It is unclear if that move surprised the San Miguel Beermen or if it contributed to the defending champs’ awful start—one that saw them score just 36 first-half points while giving up 53 to TNT. The Tropa went on to win Game 1, 96-91, to draw first blood.
TNT Shakes Things Up—and It Pays Off
In the mind of Reyes, though, it was a calculated risk that was part necessity and part strategy, as Heading, his usual starter, couldn’t practice the day before Game 1. The other reason Reyes opted for that surprising starting backcourt? Defense.
“First of all, we put a premium on defense. We wanted to put defensive players in. And secondly, Jordan Heading was not even able to practice yesterday. So, we thought it was better that we get him off the bench and also to play the role that Roger [Pogoy] plays for us—the scorer off the bench,” Reyes explained on the decision to start Aurin and Enciso.
That gamble paid off. Heading had 13 points and 8 rebounds off the bench, while Nambatac added 11 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists to help the Tropa’s second unit outplay San Miguel’s vaunted bench mob, outscoring the latter, 48-27, and neutralizing their normally huge impact.
“We said that as long as we can stay close with that first unit, then we really primed our second unit to match with their second unit. Everyone talks about San Miguel’s death five, but really their strength is their second unit. They have the highest-scoring bench in the league. But tonight, our bench outscored theirs.”
Rebounding Was Crucial
Another thing TNT did better than San Miguel in Game 1 was rebound the basketball. Led by the 10 caroms of Calvin Oftana, the Tropa outrebounded the Beermen, 55-42, despite June Mar Fajardo corralling 17 boards by his lonesome. TNT, in particular, largely kept San Miguel off the offensive glass while getting their fair share, leading to a 15-13 advantage in second-chance points.
“Two things for us were our bench play and our rebounding. They’re the number one rebounding team in the league, and we outrebounded them,” Reyes observed. “So, hopefully we can sustain that.”
Reyes will find out soon enough if TNT can do that as Game 2 is set for Friday, also at the Ynares Center Antipolo.
