Tropa to tighten defensive screws

TNT head coach Chot Reyes downplayed his team’s precision from the outside as he emphasized the importance of playing consistent defense heading into the semifinals of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Season 50 Philippine Cup.

The Tropang 5G advanced to a fourth straight Final Four appearance after eliminating Magnolia, 118-109, on Saturday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Calvin Oftana went 5-of-6 from the three-point area as TNT torched the Hotshots from the trifecta with an efficient 12-of-28 clip.

“It looked good,” Reyes said when asked about the Tropang 5G’s outside sniping.

Still, Reyes felt TNT didn’t play the way he wanted it to.

“Well, our outside shooting if it’s there, then it’s a big bonus for us. But really our identity is in our defense. In our board, that’s what we reminded the players,” he said.

“We wrote in our board DNA. Defense is never absent.”

Reyes wasn’t happy with TNT giving up 68 points in the second half after limiting Magnolia to just 41 in the first two periods. 

“So, I thought we played tremendous defense in the first half but then in the second half we gave up 60-plus points,” he said.

“So again it’s good thing that we had a cushion. But like I said if we play our defense and I think it gives us more energy and more openings for our outside shooting. So, like I said, defense is never absent.”

TNT will wait for its semis opponent between Meralco and Rain or Shine.

The Bolts forced a winner-take-all after beating the twice-to-beat Elasto Painters, 96-79, last Saturday.