WHAT a better way to cap a stellar season than to bag a historic triple crown?
TNT did just that yesterday, holding off a gritty San Miguel Beer 21-18 to rule the grand finals of the PBA 3×3 Season 2 Third Conference at the Robinsons Place in Las Piñas.
Energetic big man Lervin Flores wound up with 11 points, grabbed five rebounds, and went 7-of-9 from the field for the Tropang Giga, while gunner Almond Vosotros, the league’s top scorer, added seven markers.
Ping Exciminiano also had three points as the Mau Belen-mentored quartet completed a grand slam in the young history of the two-year-old standalone league.
The victory was worth P750,000 for TNT, which won its fourth straight conference crown dating back to the Third Conference of Season 1.
The Beermen settled for the P250,000 runner-up prize.
Wendell Comboy and Ken Bono paced SMB with seven points each.
Ginebra took third place and the P100,000 incentive with a 21-18 win over J&T.
It was the second third place finish for the Kings in a season grand final following the same place they achieved during the second conference of Season 1.
The Beermen climbed their way to the pool ladder as the No. 8 seed, initially gaining a slot in the knockout stage by finishing second behind J&T in Pool B in the early morning games.
In the quarterfinals, Ken Bono tallied nine points to lead SMB to a 21-19 upset of No. 2 Cavitex, before Tonino Gonzaga and Wendell Comboy took over in the semis as they combined for 17 points in a 20-18 triumph over the Express.
TNT reached the Big Dance after hurdling 10th seed Purefoods 21-15 in the quarterfinals and turned back the stiff challenge of the No. 4 Kings 21-16 to gain the first finals berth.
