THE final score read 107-96 in favor of San Miguel Beer on a rainy night last Friday at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig.
It proved to be the end of TNT’s ambitious bid to complete a grand slam in the PBA Philippine Cup, losing the best-of-7 finals 2-4 to the Beermen in the 49th season’s last tourney.
After the final buzzer sounded, PLDT chairman and Tropang 5G top executive Manny V. Pangilinan showed up inside the team’s gloomy dugout and consoled the wards of coach Chot Reyes with the comforting words they sorely needed.
“We know you gave it your all and your best, so thank you for that,” Pangilinan, who visited the squad along with team governor and pro league chairman Ricky Vargas, said. “Nakakalungkot, nakakaiyak, pero hindi naman nakakahiya, hindi ba?
“Hindi nakakahiya. Sabi nga, our heads tonight are bowed in sorrow but not in shame. Not in shame. Hindi nakakahiya ang performance ninyo so maraming salamat,” he added.
TNT fell short of winning the rare treble for the second time in franchise history, also losing to the same opponent in 2011 when the Beermen carried the Petron Blaze Boosters banner.
With three-time best import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson powering the Tropang 5G to title triumphs in the first two conferences—the Governors’ and Commissioner’s Cups, armchair pundits promptly pointed to the team to have a good shot at winning the Triple Crown.
But with crucial injuries to veteran star playmaker Jayson Castro (knee) last conference, prolific guard Rey Nambatac (groin) early in the import-less meet, and JP Erram (knee), and Simon Enciso (orbital bone) in the Big Dance took a toll on TNT’s campaign.
Gunner Calvin Oftana and Kelly Williams also fought through ankle injuries and Roger Pogoy with a nagging hamstring woe in the finals.
“So, so proud of this team. I think our chairman MVP put it best. We got the best out of what we had, we played these finals with only one game where we had a complete line-up, and that was Game 1,” Reyes said. “In Game 2, we lost Poy, Game 3 wala na si Poy, Game 4 we lost Enciso, and then we lost both na. Obviously, we’re very sad, but nothing for us to be ashamed of.
“Iyon ang sinabi niya, nakakaiyak, nakakalungkot, pero hindi nakakahiya. He expressed his appreciation and gratitude to the players for just continuing to fight.”
