The TNT Tropang 5G looked very mid in the eliminations of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup. Bol Bol was posting otherworldly numbers, yes, but everyone else, from RR Pogoy to Calvin Oftana, was struggling. And the team’s record—6-6 through 12 games—reflected those struggles.
That team is no more. Just ask the NLEX Road Warriors, who lost twice to TNT, the last one being on Saturday, when the Tropa dealt Robert Bolick and company a 118-112 loss. A couple of days earlier, the Tropa eked out a 96-93 thriller of a win to even send this quarters pairing to do-or-die territory.
Healthy TNT Looking Like a Force
So, what changed?
According to TNT coach Chot Reyes, better health was a welcome tonic for the Tropa.
“The key was finally getting the lineup that we wanted on the floor,” Reyes told reporters after TNT sealed a semis seat. “These were the only games that Roger [Pogoy] has started because he was coming off an injury. Then, when he was healthy enough, he was under minutes restriction, so we couldn’t really start him because we were managing his minutes.”
That minutes restriction appears to be a thing of the past. On Wednesday, Pogoy started and played 34 minutes, tallying 15 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 steals. On Saturday, he started again and played nearly 45 minutes, contributing 21 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and some stout defense on Robert Bolick.
Returning to the pink of health, too, was big man Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser, who had 8 points and 3 rebounds in Game 2.
“Towards the middle of the eliminations, Brandon went down with an injury as well, so we couldn’t really put in the lineup and the rotation that we wanted…,” Reyes added.
Pogoy, the Difference-Maker
Reyes, in particular, was effusive in his praise for Pogoy, whom he credited for his superb defense and Swiss Army knife-type of game.
“We all know that aside from Roger’s scoring ability, he’s really our best perimeter defender, so I think that was the key when we got everybody in. Everyone got healthy, we lifted the minutes restriction of Roger, and he could play as much as he could,” Reyes explained further. “I think that was big in our turnaround because, like I said, he does a lot for this team.”
