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CHICAGO – Going into Game 3 of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals tonight, the prognosis looks brutal for TNT.
Bloody with a high sweep chance.
Already down 0-2, bleeding mostly from self-inflicted wounds that allowed Guinevere to steal Games One and Two, Tropang Giga might have to come off the canvas without its leading scorer.
Bobby Ray Parks, hampered by a left calf strain suffered in the first game, is likely to be a scratch in the third game. And even if he recovers like a lion and gets fixed tonight, I doubt he can do much with a compromised tire.
Without Parks again, TNT loses 20.1 points. 8.2 points and 2.6 assists per game he averaged this conference.
Roger Ray Pogoy bravely filled the gap with 38 pointless points as Tropang Giga regurgitated a comfortable 15-point lead in the third quarter as well as a seven-point cushion in the final 4:15.
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TNT would likely revert to Pogoy in Game 3, but waiting for the Cebuano to replicate his recent blast might be too big of a question.
Pogoy scored 13 of 22 field goals and 5 of 9 triples in the second game. But with the defense now perfecting him in Game Three, he would probably come back down to earth and shoot somewhere around his conference averages, which are 43% from the field and 31% from 3.
It will take Pogoy to be great again. But you cannot do it alone.
The long list of things Tropang Giga must do to win Game 3 and return to the series is long.
They need Jayson Castro to do better than 13 points and six assists. And 0 of 6 cannot be thrown again from the deep.
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They need Poy Erram and Troy Rosario to be more dominant in the paint on both sides of the court.
And your bank must wake up. They must match the energy of the Gin Kings reserves who, led by Aljon Mariano and Prince Caperal, exploded by 40 points in Game 3.
Most importantly, a trap is recommended to slow down Stanley Pringle.
TNT is looking up a steep climb, but with some will and a little luck you can navigate.
FAIR WHISTLE. The idea that Geneva is receiving assists from the referees is unfounded, at least in this final. Yes, there were close calls, but nothing so egregious that it decided the results or undermined the integrity of the trade.
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When the league’s most popular team wins as often as Geneva, it not only brings in championship trophies, but it also spawns insane conspiracy theories.
“Play,” yelled a voice from the TNT bench in the final minutes of the second game.
Gin Kings should also listen to advice and play through mindless noise as they put the finishing touches on a diminished foe.
