Games today:
(Ninoy Aquino Stadium)
5 p.m. — Terrafirma vs Blackwater
7:30 p.m. — NLEX vs TNT
TNT Tropang Giga puts its four-game winning streak on the line when it faces skidding NLEX to kick off its two-game swing in three days in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Commissioner’s Cup today at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
Game time is set at 7:30 p.m. following the Blackwater-Terrafirma collision scheduled at 5 p.m. in the first game.
The Tropang Giga are on a roll after losing their first two outings in the mid-season tournament.
However, TNT’s last couple of games all came from close calls with import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson rescuing the Tropang Giga both times for a 4-2 win-loss record at solo seventh spot.
Hollis-Jefferson sank the game-winning free throws in a 101-99 escape over Meralco to open the new year last week before swishing in the dagger turnaround jumper to stall rampaging Converge, 98-96, last Saturday.
“There’s no such thing as an easy game in this league anymore. Every game is going to come down to that. That’s why I’m always reminding the players, we’re always preaching defense, defense, defense,” TNT head coach Chot Reyes said.
The mentor braces for tough resistance from the Road Warriors, who are eyeing to arrest a four-game slump.
It doesn’t get any easier for TNT, as it will only have a day of rest before clashing with Barangay Ginebra in a grudge match between the protagonists of the season-opening Governors’ Cup finals, which the Tropang Giga won.
“That’s going to be the same way with NLEX, that’s going to be the same way with Ginebra. We don’t expect easy games at all,” Reyes said.
A win by TNT, which will also lean on Calvin Oftana, Jayson Castro, RR Pogoy, Rey Nambatac and Kelly Williams, will put the squad in a good position to vie for the quarterfinals twice-to-beat advantage.
NLEX, on the other hand is fighting for dear life after its promising 3-1 start went south.
The Road Warriors suffered a 91-105 drubbing at the hands of Meralco last Friday, dropping out of the Top 8 with a 3-5 card.
Best Import frontrunner Mike Watkins, who had 38 points and 21 rebounds in the previous outing, needs more support from the local crew as his monster numbers could only do so much.
Meanwhile, the Bossing are eyeing to snap a four-game slide to improve their 1-7 card while the also-ran Dyip seek to capture the elusive first win after falling short in their first nine attempts.
