TNT Tropang 5G sustained its solid form as it clobbered Blackwater, 113-96, to post its second straight win in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium on Friday.

Calvin Oftana was impressive, dropping 25 points to lead the Tropang 5G to their seventh win in 10 matches that boosted their morale heading into their crucial game against Magnolia on Sunday.

A win by TNT over Magnolia will give it the twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals.

TNT head coach Chot Reyes said his wards marched into the game oozing with confidence as they were still fresh from their 119-100 win over NLEX last Saturday.

“We talked about it after the results of the previous games of the other teams. We knew we had to win our last two games. That’s why we had to fully focus on playing defense because it will be tested battling a talented Magnolia team,” Reyes said, adding that the victory was very important to their morale as they battle the Hotshots.

“We basically wanted to get up to a level to compete against Magnolia on Sunday.”

True enough, the Tropang Giga delivered an inspired performance from start to finish. Roger Pogoy knocked down a three-pointer with four seconds left in the first quarter to cap a 15-5 run that gave them a 35-25 lead that allowed them to dictate the tempo the rest of the way,

Then, Simon Enciso gave TNT its biggest lead of 26 points, 95-69, with 11:05 remaining in the fourth period.

Pogoy had 18 points off the bench while Henry Galinato had 14 points and seven rebounds for TNT.