TNT is a far cry from the team that dominated the first two tournaments of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Season 49.

With three-time Best Import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson out of the equation and in the absence of veteran stabilizer Jayson Castro in the Philippine Cup, the once promising grand slam bid of the Tropang 5G is now looking awry.

Head coach Chot Reyes was at a loss for words after witnessing TNT, the ruler of the import-laden Governors’ Cup and Commissioner’s Cup, fall victim to Phoenix, 81-95, on Friday in a forgettable first-ever outing at the newly-built Ynares Center-Montalban.

The loss plunged the Tropang 5G to a third straight defeat — the franchise’s worst start in 25 years since also going 0-3 in the 2000 edition of the all-Filipino tournament.

TNT never recovered after falling behind by 14 points in the opening period and even went down by as many as 26 in the Fuel Master’s wire-to-wire upset.

Three games in and the Tropang 5G, who lost Castro to a season-ending knee injury in the semifinals of the Commissioner’s Cup, still couldn’t find their groove.

“We’re not just playing together, there’s no connectedness, there’s absolutely no chemistry inside, players are playing selfish basketball,” Reyes rued in the aftermath of another painful loss.

Calvin Oftana, Rey Nambatac and RR Pogoy are still getting their numbers, but TNT just couldn’t translate it into a W.

And respite seems far away for the Tropang 5G as they face second-running San Miguel Beer today at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.

TNT needs to wake up from its stupor soon or risk another spoiled grand slam bid just like 14 years ago.