MANILA – TNT Tropang Giga unleashed its full arsenal on Sunday night at the Don Honorio Ventura State University Gym in Bacolor, Pampanga, as it thrashed Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings, 88-67, in the 2021 Philippine Basketball Association’s (PBA) Philippine Cup.
Mikey Williams scored 27 points, including four three-pointers, and Jayson Castro and Roger Pogoy each added 14 points as Tropang Giga advanced to the quarterfinals with an 8-1 win-loss slate.
This was the first encounter between the two teams since December 2020, when Barangay Ginebra defeated TNT in five games in the 2020 PBA Philippine Cup best-of-seven finals.
From a slim 20-16 lead after the first quarter, the Tropang Giga used 10 straight Castro points and conversions by Williams and Jeth Troy Rosario to take a 54-38 advantage midway through the third quarter.
The Kings rallied to cut the score to 52-59, but the Tropang Giga pulled away in the fourth quarter behind Pogoy and Rosario for an 82-58 lead on a Kelly Williams two-pointer.
Japeth Aguilar led the defending champions Kings (3-5) with 18 points, Christian Standhardinger scored 14, and Earl Scottie Thompson and Stanley Pringle each contributed 13 and 12 markers, respectively.
In the opening game, Rey Nambatac hit the game-winning shot to lift the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters over the San Miguel Beermen, 95-93. The Painters improved their record to 6-4, while the Beermen fell to 5-3.
With the game deadlocked at 93-all following a layup by SMB’s Jaymar Perez, Nambatac banked in a difficult floater over three Beermen defenders to surge the Painters ahead at 95-93 with two seconds remaining.
The Beermen still have a chance to win, but Terrence Romeo was bothered by the Painters’ defense, while teammate Marcio Lassiter failed to put up a basket as the final buzzer sounded.
Nambatac finished with nine points, including two three-pointers, for the Painters. Leonard Santillan tallied a career-high 21 points, Javee Mocon’s had a double-double of 18 points and 12 rebounds, and Antonio Asistio dropped 11 points.
On Saturday night, Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters (4-5) converted season-high 19 triples as they walloped Blackwater Bossing (0-9), 114-92. Bacolodnon Justin Chua and Jason Perkins fired 17 points apiece to lead the Fuel Masters.
BOX SCORE:
TNT 88 – M. Williams 27, Castro 14, Pogoy 14, Rosario 13, K. Williams 7, Montalbo 5, Marcelo 4, Erram 2, Exciminiano 2, Reyes 0, Heruela 0, Alejandro 0, Javier 0, Mendoza 0.
GINEBRA 67 – J. Aguilar 18, Standhardinger 14, Thompson 13, Pringle 12, Mariano 6, Ayaay 2, Caperal 2, Tenorio 0, Dillinger 0, Devance 0, Tolentino 0, R. Aguilar 0, Salado 0, Enriquez 0.
QUARTERSCORES:
20-16, 45-32, 62-52, 88-67./PN
