Games today:
(Smart Araneta Coliseum)
5 p.m. — TNT vs Rain or Shine
7:30 p.m. — San Miguel Beer vs Ginebra
There’s no slowing down for grand slam-seeking TNT as it eyes to build a commanding 3-0 lead over Rain or Shine in the pivotal Game 3 of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup semifinals series today at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Tropang 5G head Chot Reyes warns his wards of complacency despite an unbeaten run thus far in the playoffs.
“We haven’t won anything yet. We’ve gotten an advantage. But you see how quickly those advantages can disappear if we don’t take care of them,” the mentor said heading into the 5 p.m. curtain-raiser.
Meanwhile, San Miguel Beer and Barangay Ginebra duke it out at 7:30 to shatter their level semis series.
TNT overcame an 18-point second quarter deficit and unleashed a telling 8-0 run in the extra five minutes of a 113-105 win in Game 2 of the best-of-seven series last Friday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
Overall, the Tropang 5G are unbeaten in four games in the playoffs since hurdling twice-to-beat Magnolia in the quarterfinals.
But Reyes has been in the league too long to know that no lead is safe.
“We cannot relax. Whatever the series score is, we have to continue,” he said.
“So, this win is big. But I think getting another win in Game 3, I think that’s going to be bigger.”
Taking a third straight victory over a highly physical and running team is not going to be easy for TNT especially with starting guard RR Pogoy doubtful to play after sustaining a hamstring injury early in the second quarter of Game 2.
Pogoy is the latest addition in the Tropang 5G’s injury woes in the backcourt sport following the season-ending injuries sustained by veteran Jayson Castro and Rey Nambatac. Reserve guard Brian Heruela (ankle) is a game day decision.
Reyes will again bank on Calvin Oftana, who nailed three crucial free throws with 7.7 seconds left in regulation to tie the game at 99 and eventually force overtime, Jordan Heading, Kelly Williams, JP Erram and Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser.
Oftana’s free throws turned out to be controversial as he contested that it was a four-point attempt.
PBA Deputy Commissioner Eric Castro and the PBA technical committee released a statement Saturday admitting the missed call as footage from members of the media surfaced indicating Oftana was beyond the four-point line at the time of Gian Mamuyac’s foul.
“Our official reviews are based on video feeds from our cameras from different angles. These serve as our sole basis for decision-making during in-game reviews. While we strive to provide accurate rulings, our assessments are inherently limited to the footage available within these camera perspectives,” according to the statement.
“We deeply regret that this call was missed. This incident highlights that, despite the use of advanced equipment and multiple camera angles, blind spots can and do still exist within live game coverage,” it added.
“Our players, teams, and fans deserve the highest standards of fairness and accuracy. We acknowledge this lapse and commit to continuously improving our review systems to minimize such occurrences in the future.”