TNT secures semis spot

TNT booked a ticket to the semifinals after sending Magnolia packing, 118-109, in the quarterfinals of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Season 50 Philippine Cup on Saturday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Calvin Oftana and Jordan Heading served as the Tropang 5G’s 1-2 punch in pummeling the Hotshots into submission in a one-sided affair that saw TNT led by as many as 27 points.

The Tropang 5G, who won their fourth straight game and second in a row over Magnolia, will await their best-of-seven semis opponent between Rain or Shine and Meralco.

The Bolts defeated the twice-to-beat Elasto Painters to force a decider on Monday.

Oftana rained down five triples of his way to 25 points on 8-of-11 field goal shooting while Heading had 21 markers for TNT, which eliminated the Hotshots in the quarters for a second straight conference and a fourth consecutive Final Four appearance.

“Well like I said last time out, we came into our last game with the thinking that we needed to get two wins to get to the Final Four. So, I'm happy that we were able to deliver the second part of that transaction tonight,” Tropang 5G head coach Chot Reyes said.

TNT buried Magnolia to a 49-22 hole in the second quarter after Oftana nailed a triple with 4:42 left.

The Hotshots rallied in the second half and made it a single-digit deficit, 81-90, with 8:30 minutes left in the ball game only for the Tropang 5G to answer with a 9-2 run to widen the gap once again.

Zav Lucero led Magnolia with 22 points and 13 rebounds while Rome Dela Rosa and Jerom Lastimosa scored 19 and 18, respectively.