By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
The juggernaut that is the TNT Tropang Giga stayed undefeated in the PBA Philippine Cup, rolling to their fifth straight win by topping the Blackwater Elite, 109-96, in the opening game on Thursday at the Angeles University Foundation Gym in Pampanga.
TNT took command right at the opening quarter and held sway for the rest of the contest to raise its record to 5-0 and take solo leadership in the ongoing Philippine Basketball Association tournament.
Blackwater (2-3), with the loss, slumped to back-to-back losses.
The triumvirate of Roger Pogoy, Poy Erram and Simon Enciso set the tone for the Tropang Giga in the early goings, combining for 29 points to tow their team to a 34-25 lead at the end of the first quarter.
In the second frame, TNT tried to create further distance, extending its lead to 16 points, 49-33, after just four minutes of play.
But Blackwater fought back, trimming its deficit to as low as six points several times before TNT went on a strong finish two make it a double-digit advantage still, 61-49, at the half.
TNT kept pouring it on in the third, not allowing the Elite to gain much traction for a comeback.
The count was at 78-64 in favor of the Tropang Giga by the midway point of the quarter.
It was a distance they would maintain, 87-73, entering the final 12 minutes of the match.
Had firm control, TNT spent the first minutes of the payoff quarter going for the jugular.
Its lead ballooned to 21 points, 102-81, with 5:10 to go and it never looked back from there.
Mr. Pogoy led five TNT players who finished in double-digit in scoring with 20 points. He also had seven rebounds, four assists and three steals to win player of the game honors.
Rey Parks Jr. had 18 points while Troy Rosario finished with 17 for the Tropang Giga. Messrs. Enciso and Erram, meanwhile, had 16 and 14 points, respectively.
For Blackwater it was Don Trollano who top-scored with 23 points, followed by Mac Belo with 16.
TNT next plays on Oct. 26 against the Northport Batang Pier (0-4) while Blackwater faces off with the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters (3-0) on Oct. 25.
Meanwhile, games on Friday will have the NLEX Road Warriors (1-3) colliding with the Meralco Bolts (2-2) at 4 p.m. and the Magnolia Hotshots Pambansang Manok (1-3) slugging it out with the Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters (2-2) at 6:45 p.m.
