TAKING care of the leather like it’s a precarious possession allowed TNT to live and fight another day.
“We had more turnover points than San Miguel. I think this is the game where we’ve had the least number of turnovers. So, when we don’t turn the ball over, we give them less chances to score and I think that was the big part of why we were able to limit San Miguel’s offense,” Tropang 5G coach Chot Reyes said. “We limited our turnovers and we cut it down, and by doing so, we cut down their second chance points.
“So even when they were making a run in the last few games, when they were making a run, we were trying to push too hard. So, we kind of flipped the script to say, relax, relax and make sure we just have those quality possessions,” he added.
What Reyes described as “quality possessions” enabled the grand slam-seeking Tropang 5G to pull off an 86-78 victory over the Beermen last Wednesday night in the fifth match of their best-of-7 title battle in the PBA Philippine Cup.
The rainy weather and uncertainty whether Game 5 would be played as scheduled proved to be not a distraction—but a big boost instead—for TNT.
“Hindi naman. On the contrary, it’s been good because in our practice gym, walang tao, kami lang. So, we were able to have a really focused practice,” Reyes said. “It was very quiet. There were no other people in the gym except for us. So, I think nakatulong, on the contrary.”
Hardworking big man Brandon Ganueslas-Rosser notched 18 points, five rebounds, three steals, and five blocks for the Tropang 5G while Kelly Williams added 14 markers, seven boards, and two assists.
Calvin Oftana, Jordan Heading, Almond Vosotros, and Roger Pogoy also had 13, 13, 11, and 11 points, respectively for TNT which recovered from losing three in a row in the Big Dance, counting a 91-105 setback in the fourth tiff last Sunday, and trimmed the series deficit to 2-3.
The Tropang 5G look to force a Game 7 when they tackle the Beermen in Game 6 tonight at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig.
A knockout clash, if needed, is set for Sunday, July 27, at the same venue.
With a roster’s stars ravaged by an assortment of injuries, Reyes hopes to get the most out of his unsung heroes.
“That’s exactly what happened in the last game, right? We were in the game for 42 minutes until the last six minutes, until the floodgates burst,” he said. “So, we talked about it, and we wanted to make sure that we get contributions from some guys so that we can find a way to last until the endgame.
“So, I thought that we got a lot of good games, good minutes from Brian Heruela, from Kim Aurin, from Glenn (Khobuntin) coming off the bench, and of course, Almond, so that’s key. That’s crucial. Hopefully, we can continue that.”
