On PBA Wednesday action, the TNT Tropang 5G escaped with a come-from-behind 100-98 victory over the Meralco Bolts, thanks in large part to the late-game heroics of Rey Nambatac. In fact, with less than a minute left in regulation, Stingrey very nearly hit a dagger four-pointer that would’ve outright won the game for the Tropa.
He missed, but Chot Reyes didn’t mind at all. That’s because it was a ROB shot—the kind that TNT hopes to get every single time on offense.
What’s a ROB Shot? Chot Reyes Explains
Postgame, Reyes introduced to reporters the Tropa’s mentality on offense, and it was an eye-opener on how one of the PBA’s most prolific squads operates on that side of the ball.
“That was the right decision,” Reyes emphasized to reporters after the Tropa’s win over the Bolts. “Sa amin ganun e. We call it ‘high-value’ shots. We make sure we’re taking high-value shots. And a wide-open four-point play out of rotation, out of ball movement for us is a high-value shot as long as it’s a ROB shot, which is in range, open, and balanced. Rey was in range, he was open, he was balanced.”
That Nambatac four-point try was, indeed, a ROB shot. RR Pogoy, double-teamed at the post in a mismatch against Aaron Black, kicked the ball out to Nambatac, who was at the top of the four-point arc and ready to let it fly. He had just drilled two of those shots earlier in the fourth, and a third would’ve put the game away. He missed, but Reyes most certainly didn’t mind.
High-Value Shots Mean Higher Chances of Winning
For Chot Reyes, it’s not so much about making or missing shots because no one will make them all. Instead, it’s about making sure the quality of shots is up to par with what the TNT coaching staff continuously preaches. That’s because, for Reyes, more high-value shots mean higher chances of winning eventually.
“Not every shot will go in,” Reyes pointed out. “But hopefully, if we continue taking high-value shots, then we increase our chances of winning.”
The Tropa got themselves quite a few of those high-value shots against Meralco, and they mostly kept missing in the first three quarters. Then, a funny thing happened. TNT started making those same high-value shots down the stretch—at least enough of them to steal the game in the end.
Coach Chot Reyes, for sure, doesn’t mind at all.
