MANILA – TNT Tropang Giga punched their ticket to the 2021 Philippine Basketball Association’s (PBA) Philippine Cup semifinals by defeating Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings, 84-71, in the quarterfinals Tuesday night at the Don Honorio Ventura State University Gym in Bacolor, Pampanga.
Roger Pogoy led the Tropang Giga with 16 points, Jeth Troy Rosario added 15, and Mikey Williams and Bacolodnon Kib Montalbo chipped in with 11 and 10 points, respectively.
Down 19-25 early in the second quarter, the Tropang Giga leaned on consecutive points by Williams for a 29-27 lead. Rosario then scored six consecutive baskets to extend the lead to 39-31.
TNT extended their advantage to 50-38 in the third quarter as Pogoy drilled five consecutive points, but Ginebra rallied to narrow the deficit to 44-50 before the Tropang Giga reclaimed the lead at 62-46 on baskets by John Paul Erram and Jayson Castro.
The Kings made one more push at 61-76 on a triple by LA Tenorio, but Tropang Giga responded with back-to-back triples by Pogoy and Rosario, stretching the lead to 84-61.
Christian Standhardinger had a double-double of 17 points and 19 rebounds, while Stanley Pringle contributed 15 points as the 2020 PBA Philippine Cup champions Kings bow out of the playoffs.
In the first game, Calvin Oftana converted a game-winning basket as NLEX Road Warriors escaped with an 81-80 victory over Meralco Bolts to send their quarterfinals series to a do-or-die game on Friday.
Oftana, a native of Dumaguete City, made the game-winning basket off an Ilonggo Jericho Cruz inbound pass as the Road Warriors took a one-point lead with six seconds remaining.
Oftana, the no. 4 overall pick in the 2021 PBA Rookie Draft, finished the match with 12 points, nine rebounds, and five assists for the no.7 ranked Road Warriors, which has a twice-to-win disadvantage over the no.2 ranked Bolts.
Anthony Semerad bannered the Road Warriors with 23 points, including five three-pointers, while Celedonio Trollano and Cruz fired 12 and 10 markers, respectively.
BOX SCORE:
TNT 84 – Pogoy 16, Rosario 15, M. Williams 11, Montalbo 10, Erram 9, Castro 7, Khobuntin 5, K. Williams 4, Heruela 3, Reyes 2, Marcelo 2, Exciminiano 0, Alejandro 0, Mendoza 0, Javier 0.
GINEBRA 71 – Standhardinger 17, Pringle 15, Tenorio 9, Ayaay 9, Chan 5, Devance 5, Dillinger 4, Caperal 4, Mariano 3, Salado 0.
QUARTERSCORES:
17-21, 39-33, 66-49, 84-71./PN
