WITH the Hollis-Jefferson brothers linking up, TNT finally scored a big breakthrough last Wednesday night.
The Tropang Giga tripped the visiting Taipei Fubon Braves 80-69 for their first win in the EASL Home and Away season at the Santa Rosa Sports Complex in Laguna.
Before a sparse hometown crowd, TNT leaned on a telling 8-0 blitz capped by a Calvin Oftana three-pointer that gave the Tropang Giga a 70-58 lead in the fourth quarter.
A Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson jumper padded TNT’s edge to as much as 80-66, with only 1:22 to play.
The victory, however, was overshadowed by a bad fall suffered by Tropang Giga import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson at the 2:45 mark of the final canto.
“It’s mixed emotions right now. We’re happy we finally got that monkey off our backs and finally got that ‘W’,” TNT deputy coach Josh Reyes said. “But at the same time, all our thoughts and prayers go out to Rondae.
“We’re very concerned as a unit right now. Good that we got the win, but right now the concern is Rondae and his well-being,” he added.
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson sizzled for a game-high 35 points, to go with 11 rebounds for the Tropang Giga, while his older brother Rahlir, tapped to replace Quincy Miller, chimed in 22 markers and nine boards.
Oftana also added 15 points spiked by three three-pointers.
“We brought him in for chemistry and energy. So far, he’s giving both tremendously,” Reyes said of the hulking 6-foot-6 Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson.
“We believe that the more he settles down with the squad, with the situation, it will be much better. But so far, so good.”
The triumph that served as a bounce back to TNT’s 97-106 loss to the Braves when they first met last Nov. 15 also enabled the Tropang Giga to improve to 1-4 in Group A and keep alive their semifinal bid in the regional meet.
Anthony Johnson carried the fight for reigning three-time P. League+ champion Fubon with 19 points and 20 caroms, while Fil-Am and Sedrick Barefield added 15 markers for Taipei which slipped to 1-3.
