After a tale of two halves in Game 1, the TNT Tropang 5G and Meralco Bolts renewed hostilities on Wednesday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. One team, TNT, was looking to carry its second-half momentum from Game 1, while the other, Meralco, was looking to right the ship. In the end, the Tropa proved too much again for the Bolts as they pulled out a 109–92 rout to seize control of their PBA Philippine Cup semis showdown.
What Happened?
Much like in that close come-from-behind Game 1 win, the Tropa started Game 2 like a house on fire, racing out to a 29–19 lead behind some hot shooting and aggressive playmaking from Jordan Heading and Calvin Oftana. It was much of the same in the second quarter, with the Tropa building as much as a 52–36 lead before settling for a 57–46 advantage going into intermission.
The story was the same in the second half, with the Bolts unable to stop the Tropa’s prolific offense, which put up points in a variety of ways—drives, post-ups, midrange jumpers, and yes, long bombs. Worse for Meralco, it could not get its own offense untracked as it shot just 41.7% from the field and made only 1 of its 14 attempts from downtown.
Who Stood Out?
Calvin Oftana, who was TNT’s hero in Game 1, was locked in for Game 2 as well, as was Jordan Heading. Together, the two former Pilipinas call-ups combined for 40 big points, with Oftana firing 26 markers to go along with 7 rebounds, and Heading adding 24 points. They also shot 19-for-31 from the field combined. Kelly Williams and Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser were studs as well, outplaying the Meralco frontline in every imaginable way. Williams finished with 12 points, all on triples in the first half, while BGR had 11.
Meralco, in contrast, could not find heroes in Game 2 as TNT’s defense swarmed all over. Chris Newsome and Cliff Hodge, the Bolts’ old reliables, tried to put up a fight with 18 points apiece. Their efforts, however, proved lacking in the face of the Tropa’s complete game.
3 Keys to the Game
- Red-hot shooting for TNT. The Tropa picked apart Meralco’s usually stingy defense almost at will, and it resulted in open looks from downtown and even easy layups inside. That is why TNT shot 55% overall, 42.9% from downtown, and 33.3% from four-point range.
- Ice-cold shooting for Meralco. The Bolts, in contrast, could not figure out TNT’s ferocious, swarming defense, and it certainly contributed to Meralco shooting just 41.7% overall. Their three-point shooting was even worse at a ghastly 7%, as they made just 1 of 14 attempts from the three-point line.
- Strong start by the starters. TNT has shown it can play from in front or behind, but in Game 2, the Tropa’s starting unit made sure the team would not be playing catch-up again like it did in Game 1. With Heading percolating and Oftana taking over, TNT’s starters raced out to an early double-digit lead and set the tone of the game.
Next Up for the PBA
The PBA Philippine Cup semis will continue on Friday, also at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. The TNT Tropang 5G and Meralco Bolts will open Friday action with Game 3 of their semis series, followed by Ginebra and San Miguel running it back a third time in the nightcap.
Meralco vs. TNT (5:15 p.m.)
Ginebra vs. San Miguel (7:30 p.m.)
