TNT Tropang 5G coach Chot Reyes didn’t go far when asked what the key was in the Tropa’s dominant 3-0 sweep of the Magnolia Hotshots in their PBA Governors’ Cup quarterfinals showdown.
For the multitalented coach and former longtime Gilas Pilipinas mentor, it all boiled down to defense—something the Tropa have been so good at all these years.
Defense Leads to Offense for TNT
According to Reyes, the equation was pretty simple: More stops mean more scoring opportunities. That defense was on point yet again in Game 3 on Saturday, when the Tropa completed the sweep with a 98-87 win on Saturday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
“Our attention to detail and our commitment to defense,” Reyes said when asked what it took for TNT to beat Magnolia, 3-0, in their quarterfinal series. “I thought that if we limit their scoring opportunities, that would give us a lot of chances to score on the other side because we know that they’re the number one defensive team in the league.”
Coming into the quarterfinals, Magnolia was, indeed, No. 1 in the Governors’ Cup in defense, surrendering just 94.2 points per game.
That Tropa Defense Was Unforgiving
In the quarterfinals, the tables turned. Magnolia’s defense couldn’t stop Rondae Hollis-Jefferson in all three games. TNT, on the other hand, held the Hotshots to 76.7 points on sub-40% shooting while scoring 93.6 points.
“We knew in a half-court situation, we’d have a hard time scoring against Magnolia. So, we really put the emphasis on stopping them, making defensive stops to give us more scoring opportunities…,” Reyes added. “But we gave ourselves enough opportunities to score elsewhere. And that’s because of our defense, our ability to stop them. I thought that was the key.”
Reyes is right. TNT’s locals mostly struggled in the three wins, and only RHJ really got going on offense. But with that stifling defense, Hollis-Jefferson’s offensive prowess still proved too much for Magnolia.
So, expect that defense to continue being TNT’s point of emphasis moving forward.
