Sister teams NLEX Road Warriors and TNT Tropang 5G will open the PBA Commissioner’s quarterfinals later today at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium. Expect fireworks from the get-go, as NLEX is hungry to prove that its 10-2 run in the eliminations wasn’t a fluke but rather a sign of bigger things to come. TNT, on the other hand, is the defending champion, and the Tropa remains dangerous even with a twice-to-win disadvantage.
The big question now is, how do these teams stack up? These stats could give us a better idea:
7.6 to 10.2
These are the average three-pointers made by both sides, with NLEX drilling on average 10.2 triples (4th in the league) as compared to 7.6 for TNT (12th). This is a statistical anomaly of sorts because in past conferences, the Tropa have been among the most prolific in outside sniping. In fact, distance shooting has been TNT’s big weapon in prior tournaments—but not in this PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
This conference, TNT has been off from long distance, and that might explain why the Tropa slipped all the way to No. 8. The percentages aren’t in favor of TNT either, as the team is shooting just 28.8% from beyond the arc as opposed to NLEX’s 35.3%.
55% to 53.2%
TNT’s shooting struggles this conference have been surprising, and that’s evident in the team’s 53.2% True Shooting Percentage, which is only eighth in a field of thirteen teams. The Tropa, again, is the tournament’s eighth seed, and their not-so-stellar shooting certainly is a reason for such drop-off.
In contrast, NLEX has an outstanding 55% True Shooting Percentage, which is good for fourth in the league. This good shooting is testament to the team’s bevy of shooters, as well as the quality of shots these same shooters are getting. It’s no small wonder then that the Road Warriors are No. 1 heading into the quarterfinals.
20.5 to 16.2
Surprisingly, again, the Tropa are dead last in the PBA in assists this conference, issuing just 16.2 on average. NLEX isn’t that superior in this case, averaging 20.5 dimes. The gap isn’t necessarily that big, but it is likely a reflection of the two teams’ shooting percentage and ball distribution (more on this below).
Put simply, TNT isn’t sharing the ball as much as it normally does. It certainly isn’t helping that the Tropa’s gunners have gone cold. NLEX, on the other hand, is moving the ball better and is getting better shots.
77.6 to 63.6
All conference long, TNT coach Chot Reyes has rued the Tropa’s continuing reliance on their import, Bol Bol. The numbers bear out his concern, as his locals are putting up just 63.6 points of the team’s 101.8 average (11th overall, just 0.7 point better than the Titan Ultra Giant Risers). Bol has covered the rest with his league-best 38.2. Clearly, Reyes isn’t high on this imbalance.
On the other side, there’s a lot more balance, with Cady Lalanne putting up 26.0 points a game and the locals contributing 77.6. Overall, the Road Warriors are averaging 103.8 a game, which is just 0.1 point fewer than Barangay Ginebra’s 103.9. NLEX’s balanced scoring, in other words, has made it one of the more prolific teams of this conference.
The Quarterfinals: (1) NLEX vs. (8) TNT
NLEX and TNT will open quarterfinal hostilities later today at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium. Tip-off will be at 5:15, with NLEX looking to seal a semis berth for the first time in a long while. TNT, meanwhile, will attempt to send this pairing into a winner-take-all.
