[ad_1]
TNT secured the first ticket to the 2020 PBA Philippine Cup Finals by winning 91-81 over Phoenix Super LPG in a life and death fight on Friday at the AUF Sports Arena and Cultural Center.
Bobby Ray Parks shone once again and came to life in the second half, where he scored 22 of his 26 points to lead the TNT franchise to its first appearance in a Philippine Cup final in seven years. He also had 10 rebounds and six assists.
Simon Enciso added 12 points, while Jayson Castro, Roger Pogoy and Jay Washington threw 11 each for Tropang Giga.
The first match of the All-Filipino final is Sunday, November 29. TNT will face the winner of the Geneva-Meralco semifinal duel who has also reached the distance.
TNT rode the Parks and Castro duo in the third frame as they combined to score 15 of the team’s 22 points during that span. That was a big production for a Tropang Giga team that converted a small three-point lead earlier in the quarter into a 62-53 band entering the earnings period.
The Tropang Giga proceeded to break the game wide in the quarter, where an 8-3 start behind Parks gave them a 14-point lead, 70-56, in the first three minutes of the fourth quarter.
TNT pushed that lead to 17 later and continued to maintain a double-digit margin for most of the quarter, even as the Fuel Masters tried to mount a couple of late comeback attempts.
TNT last appeared in the championship stage of this conference in the 2012-13 season, when the franchise swept Rain or Shine to complete a Philippine Cup treble.
The Fuel Masters, on the other hand, will come out of the bubble with their heads held high after a tremendous display that saw them nearly reach the final for the first time in franchise history.
Calvin Abueva led the Phoenix Super LPG with 23 points, 13 rebounds and six assists, while Matthew Wright struggled on offense and finished with 13 points on 5 of 19 shooting. Jason Perkins also had a quiet night, although he still finished with a double-double of 11 points and 11 rebounds.
