THIS is another loss for TNT.
Aside from the Tropang Giga’s 66-73 defeat to the Ginebra Kings in Game 5 of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup finals, a highly emotional scene transpired between coach Chot Reyes and center JP Erram that left the team a big loser in the eyes of many.
Reyes and Erram were seen figuring in a shouting match on the team’s bench during a timeout at the 7:28 mark of the third quarter.
Reyes, the former Gilas Pilipinas strategist, admitted Erram’s antics were too much and he became seemingly “uncoachable,” suggesting the cager take his place as TNT tactician.
“I just got fed up with all the antics so I let him have a piece of my mind,” Reyes said. “Sabi ko, kung hindi ko siya mapagsabihan, eh di siya mag-coach na lang.”
During the hullaballoo, the 6-foot-7 Erram vented his ire by throwing his towel and with Reyes temporarily leaving the huddle.
Barkley Ebona and Rey Nambatac tried to stop Erram from abandoning his place before veteran center Kelly Williams spoke and attempted to calm him down. Erram still went all the way to the far end of the Tropang Giga bench.
Erram was replaced by Williams before returning with 9:59 remaining in the final canto but rode the bench for good with less than four minutes left.
“They kind of like took care of itself. They knew the importance of the game,” newly-minted best import of the conference Rondae Hollis-Jefferson said. “At the end of the day, we’re all competitive, we all want to win. I think they realize that.”
For Reyes, what matters is how his troops will recover in the sixth tiff set tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. at the Smart Araneta Coliseum and force a Game 7 this Friday, March 28, at the same venue.
“We just need to regroup; this is not over,” he said.
“They need four wins to win the championship but like you’ve seen, it’s a tough team that we’re playing.
“We can’t make the mistakes we’re making against the national team—we’re playing Gilas, the first five. It’s tough. We have a very small room for error.”
The Erram-Reyes episode can be easily forgotten if and when TNT manages to win it all while it will be a bitter pill to swallow if the Tropang Giga eventually lose the series.
