The TNT Tropang 5G (1-0) came back from a 21-point deficit to stun the Meralco Bolts (0-1) with a 100-95 victory. Meanwhile, Barangay Ginebra San Miguel (1-0) surged in the fourth quarter to secure a 99-90 win over the San Miguel Beermen (0-1) in Game 1 of the PBA Philippine Cup semifinals on January 5.
Here are the players who made the biggest impact and the stats to prove it.
TOP PERFORMERS OF THE DAY:
June Mar Fajardo SMB C 27 PTS | 23 REB | 3 AST | 64.1 FPS
JMF continues to be explosive in the paint, going 11-for-15 from two to finish with his third straight 24-point outing. He also added his second consecutive 20-rebound game and is now averaging 16.4 rebounds over his last seven games.
Rhon Jay Abarrientos GIN PG 23 PTS | 7 AST | 2 STL | 42.3 FPS
RJ has been the X-factor for Ginebra in their recent surge, scoring 20+ points in seven of his last nine games. He raised the bar even higher in his last five outings, averaging a team-best 25.4 points per game while shooting an exceptional 45-for-49 from the line.
Calvin John Oftana TNT SF 28 PTS | 7 REB | 2 AST | 39.4 FPS
Oftana continues to deliver on offense, posting 14 or more points in ten-straight games and pouring 25+ points in three of his last four outings. He’s been particularly effective against Meralco this conference, averaging 26 points and 6 rebounds in two games.
Earl Scottie Thompson GIN SG 22 PTS | 5 REB | 4 AST | 35.0 FPS
Thompson has been a reliable contributor on the offensive end, recording double-digit points in seven of his previous eight games. But he was even more impressive against San Miguel, hitting 4-of-5 from deep to finish with his best scoring game of the conference.
Brandon Arnell Ganuelas-Rosser TNT PF 14 PTS | 10 REB | 1 BLK | 29.0 FPS
Over his last five games, BGR has been productive, averaging 11.6 points and 8.8 rebounds while staying consistent on defense, posting at least 1 block for the tenth-straight game.
Jaymar Perez SMB SF 18 PTS | 4 REB | 3 AST | 28.3 FPS
Perez scored 24+ points four times in a recent five-game stretch, but he has struggled since. His three-point shooting continues to be an issue, hitting just 3 of his last 12 attempts. He has also been ineffective against Ginebra this conference, averaging 14 points in two games.
Roger Ray Pogoy TNT SG 16 PTS | 3 REB | 3 STL | 26.6 FPS
Pogoy missed all four of his shots from deep, but he was efficient from inside the arc, knocking down 6-of-7 to finish with his seventh 14-point outing of the conference.
Rey Benedict Nambatac TNT PG 17 PTS | 4 REB | 2 AST | 24.8 FPS
Nambatac wasn’t at his best offensively, but he made up for it with a strong performance at the line, converting 8-of-11 for his fifth 15-point outing of the conference.
Jeth Troy Rosario GIN C 8 PTS | 7 REB | 2 STL | 23.4 FPS
Rosario failed to reach double figures in scoring for the first time in seven games, but he still made his presence felt elsewhere, logging his seventh 7-rebound performance and matching his best defensive output of the conference.
BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE DAY:
Jordan Timothy Heading TNT SG 9 PTS | 2 REB | 2 AST
After averaging 22 points against Magnolia in their last two games, Heading cooled off against TNT and finished under the 10-point mark for the fourth time this conference.
