Sour shooting puts TNT on brink

TNT Tropang Giga cited its poor shooting in the second half as the culprit in their 66-73 loss to Barangay Ginebra in Game 5 of the Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup best-of-seven finals series last Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Tropang Giga head coach Chot Reyes said even if they were able to limit Barangay Ginebra to less than 75 points, they need to ramp up their scoring if they want to keep their title hopes alive.

The Tropang Giga are teetering on the brink of a finals heartbreak as the Kings need only one win to clinch the title. Game 6 is set on Wednesday at the Big Dome.

“We’re keeping them (Ginebra) down to less than 75 points and we’re still losing games. In Game 2, they scored 71 points and we lost,” a dejected Reyes said after the match.

“Today, they did like 73 points and we still lost. We have no business winning if we can’t score more than 75 points.”

After the Tropang Giga led by as many as 10 points, 45-35, in the first half. TNT only scored 24 points in the second half.

‘We are playing against Gilas’ first five so it’s tough. We have a very small room for error.’

TNT import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson shot a miserable 2-of-13 from the field in the third and fourth quarters combined despite finishing with a double-double game of 19 points and 12 rebounds.

In fact, the Jordanian-American swingman’s last field goal of the game was a jumper with still 11:01 left in the fourth quarter.

Meanwhile, sniper Roger Pogoy went 3-of-10 from the field and finished with eight points for the Tropang Giga, who must sharpen their offensive form if they want to forge a sudden-death Game 7 on Friday,

Reyes said they can’t afford to make mistakes in Game 6.

“They need four wins to get the championship and it’s a tough team. We can’t make the mistakes we’re making against the national team,” said Reyes, stressing that they have to be at their best because they are facing the starting roster of the Gilas squad like Justin Brownlee, Troy Rosario, Scottie Thompson, Japeth Aguilar and Jamie Malonzo.

“We are playing against Gilas’ first five so it’s tough. We have a very small room for error.”

Reyes also scolded Poy Erram after he had a verbal spat during the third quarter.

Erram had a similar outburst in Game 2 and was seen kicking the team’s equipment on his way to the Mall of Asia Arena locker room.