The TNT Tropang 5G had to withstand a late rally from the Macau Giant Pandas in their win on Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. And they did it without several key players, as Calvin Oftana, Jayson Castro, and Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser were all sidelined with injuries, while Kelly Williams was out due to personal reasons.
After the game, Rey Nambatac said the Tropang 5G relied on their mental toughness in the closing minutes to hold off the Giant Pandas and secure their first win of the PBA Governors’ Cup.
“Well doon pa rin papasok yung gaano ka mentally prepared, and ’yun ’yung nag-sink in sa amin sa last stretch ng fourth quarter na kailangan maging mindful kami, kailangan maging maingat kami, and maging composed kami sa laro,” he said.
Coming off the bench, Nambatac finished with 23 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block.
Initiative Will Be Crucial
Additionally, the 32-year-old one-time PBA Finals MVP said players like him will need to show initiative to win even without the team’s stars and leaders.
“Hindi kami 100%, pero at least kahit papaano first game pa lang namin kahit papaano nandoon na ’yung composure, nandoon na ’yung initiative namin sa loob ng court,” Nambatac added.
In their conference debut, the Tropa relied on an all-around team effort to get the win even with the active roster down to just 13 players.
Import Darius Days had 23 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists. RR Pogoy scored 21 points on top of 3 assists, 1 rebound, and 1 block. Days and Pogoy, together with Nambatac, took the initiative to lead the way, and everyone else contributed in their own way.
TNT will need that same initiative and mental toughness come July 22 when it takes on the winless Titan Ultra Giant Risers.
