TNT knocks out top seed NLEX, advances to semis

Defending champion TNT overcame NLEX’s twice-to-beat advantage to secure a Final Four seat with a 118-112 win over top-seeded NLEX in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup do-or-die quarterfinals Saturday at the Ynares Center-Antipolo.

Celebrated 7-foot-3 import Bol Bol submitted his usual monster numbers of 35 points and 13 rebounds as the No. 8 seed Tropang 5G advanced to a fifth straight semis appearance.  

TNT will face Meralco in the best-of-seven semis series starting Wednesday at the same Antipolo venue.

RR Pogoy added 21 markers while Calvin Oftana posted 20 points for the Tropang 5G. Jayson Castro fired 14 points and dished out eight assists in TNT’s collective effort to repeat over the Road Warriors.  

“We really needed to step up. We can’t let Bol do all the work. We struggled in the eliminations because Bol was doing all the work. Good thing we all worked together to get this win,” Pogoy said.

TNT took control of the game early, keeping a double-digit lead and even opened a 110-88 advantage.

The Tropang 5G forced a decider after a hard-earned 96-93 escape last Wednesday after staving off NLEX’s spirited rally from 10 points down in the final period.

Cady Lalanne paced NLEX with 46 points and 15 rebounds while Schonny Winston and Robert Bolick had 24 and 16 markers, respectively.