The TNT Tropang 5G are now at the top of the PBA Philippine Cup leaderboard with a 3-1 ledger thanks to a 130-92 dismantling of the Titan Ultra Giant Risers on Friday at Ynares Center in Antipolo.
What Happened?
Put simply, TNT happened. The Tropa just flat-out dominated in the middle quarters, outscoring Titan Ultra 40-19 in the second and capping it off with a 37-29 third. After three, TNT was up 99-63, and the rout was on. Outgunned and outplayed, Titan Ultra just didn’t have an answer for one of the PBA’s deepest, most talented teams.
Who Stood Out?
How about everyone? The vets—Calvin Oftana (14 points, 10 rebounds) and RR Pogoy (10 points, 5 rebounds), in particular—were solid, as were everybody else whom Chot Reyes played. But special mention should go to Henry Galinato Jr. and Mike Nieto, who fired 16 and 15, respectively, off the TNT bench. Galinato added 9 boards, while Nieto grabbed 7 himself.
Over on the Titan Ultra side, Fran Yu tried putting up a fight for the Giant Risers and finished with 16 points and 7 assists. Calvin Abueva was back in action after missing games due to a hamstring issue and finished with a double-double of 15 points and 11 rebounds. But overall, it was a putrid effort for Titan.
3 Keys to the Game
- Explosive middle quarters. Again, all TNT needed were two explosive quarters, and that’s exactly what they got as they poured in 77 points in the second and third cantos.
- Bench play. The TNT bench, led by Galinato and Nieto, provided a spark for the Tropa, whose reserves outscored their Titan counterparts, 84-45. It’s probably no coincidence that TNT’s winning margin is 38 points.
- Perimeter play. When TNT shoot well from downtown, they’re nearly impossible to beat. Against Titan, they were 10-for-29 from trey, which is slightly below the Tropa’s standards. But overall, they still outscored Titan 52-27 from the perimeter.
Next Up for the PBA
The PBA will hold another twin bill at Ynares Center in Antipolo on Saturday, with the Magnolia Hotshots and Terrafirma Dyip going at it in the curtain-raiser. The Phoenix Fuel Masters will then take on the Converge FiberXers in the nightcap.
Magnolia vs. Terrafirma | Converge vs. Phoenix
