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TNT will head to the PBA Philippines Cup Finals for the first time in seven years after rolling a 91-81 cable-to-cable over Phoenix Super LPG in a life and death game on Friday the 5th at the AUF Sports Arena. and Cultural Center.
A stifling defense and timely outbursts from top leaders Bobby Ray Parks, Jayson Castro and Roger Pogoy did the trick for the Tropang Giga franchise, which will play for an All-Filipino Conference title for the first time since the 2012-13 season. .
Parks shone once again and came to life in the second half, where he scored 22 of his 26 points to anchor the TNT offense. He fired 9 of 18 shots from the field to lead all scorers and also added 10 rebounds, six assists and a steal for good measure.
Simon Enciso scored eight of his 12 in a good first quarter start, while Jayson Castro, Roger Pogoy and Jay Washington finished with 11 each for TNT.
“We have to be proud of the moment, seize the moment. It’s who you play for, and this is my family here,” said Parks, who spoke during the exit interview with the entire team right behind. the.
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 kept Phoenix’s generally robust offense at just 36.4 percent from the field and a gruesome 8-of-41 (19.5) percent from center and forced the Fuel Masters to commit more turnovers (18) than assists ( 17) suddenly. game of Death.
But that defensive intensity didn’t immediately translate to Tropang Giga, who also went through their own struggles on offense in the first two quarters before finally walking away in the second half.
Enciso and Jay Washington buoyed a miserable TNT attack by scoring eight apiece in the first half before Tropang Giga finally got some good from their aces after the halftime break.
In the third quarter, it was all Parks and Castro when the duo combined to score 15 of the team’s 22 points during that span. That was a much-needed production for a Tropang Giga team that converted a small three-point lead earlier in the quarter to a 62-53 band entering the earnings period.
TNT proceeded to gain further separation in the fourth, where Parks scored 15 of the team’s final 29 points. Pogoy also threw seven during that frame, including a triple that even led his team to the game’s biggest lead at 17, 75-58, at the 7:09 mark.
“It just talks about how much we loved him. We’re here now. We sacrificed two months. We sacrificed not being with our families,” Parks said. “This is really dedicated to them and we played the best we could. It is not easy to be away from them, it is not easy to be in a bubble. We just wanted to get to the final and the job is not done yet.”
The TNT franchise last appeared in the championship stage of this conference in the 2012-13 edition, when the team, with a core of Jimmy Alapag, Ranidel de Ocampo, Larry Fonacier and a young Castro, swept away Rain or Shine for complete a Philippine Cup. three mob: the first time in league history at that time.
“It’s good to be back in the final,” said head coach Bong Ravena. “I must congratulate the players, especially Ray and all the veterans. They really took a step forward in tonight’s game.”
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 almost reach the final for the first time in the history of their young franchise.
Calvin Abueva led the Phoenix Super LPG with 23 points, 13 rebounds and six assists, but received little help elsewhere as Matthew Wright (13 points on 5 of 19 shooting) and Jason Perkins (11 points, 11 rebounds) had outs. quiet.
Ravena praised the Fuel Masters and said TNT basically flared up when taking on an elite team from Phoenix in this series.
“I’ve said it before: this team is no longer easy,” he said. “They are well organized, they are complete. You can’t leave anyone open. Anyone can shoot and they have a good system. You better watch them next season.”
TNT will now set its sights on what will definitely be a tough Finals showdown against the Bolts or the Gin Kings.
“The good thing about this is that we still have time to prepare. Tonight, we can watch the match between both teams,” Ravena said. “Facing Phoenix was really a blessing in disguise because they helped us a lot, they made us better. Maybe we will be more prepared in the Finals because we really had a hard time against Phoenix. We’ll see.”
THE SCORES
TNT 91 – Parks 26, Enciso 12, Washington 11, Pogoy 11, Castro 11, Erram 9, Carey 4, Montalbo 3, Rosario 4, Reyes 0.
Phoenix 81 – Abueva 23, Wright 13, Perkins 11, Chua 9, Jazul 8, Heruela 7, Ríos 6, Mallari 4, García 0.
Trimesters: 25-20; 40-34; 62-53; 91-81.
ADDITIONAL JARS
– TNT’s work on the glass (51-48 rebounding lead, including 15 offensive rebounds) led to a 16-8 lead in second-chance points against Phoenix. The Tropang Giga also ran the break more (11-4).
– Poy Erram (nine points, six rebounds) and Troy Rosario (four and seven rebounds) performed better this time, although TNT still opted to play primarily with a four-guard lineup in stretches when it pulled away from the Fuel Masters.
