TNT Tropang 5G even series to 2-2 versus San Miguel Beermen

Game on Friday
(Ynares Center-Antipolo)
7:30 p.m. – TNT vs San Miguel Beermen (Game 5)
Series tied, 2-2

IT’S DOWN to a virtual best-of-three so expect rivals San Miguel Beermen (SMB) and TNT to leave nothing in the tank to get the critical edge as they dash closer to the finish.

The Tropang 5G dragged the defending champions Beermen to a 2-2 deadlock in the PBA Philippine Cup finals with an emphatic 110-87 rout in Wednesday’s Game 4 after finally delivering what coach Chot Reyes called a “complete game.”

And now the challenge for TNT is to repeat this in the 7:30 p.m. tiff at the Ynares Center-Antipolo where the victor gets to move to the doorstep of the coveted crown.

“I think the most important thing was we put a whole, complete game together. The only thing that we wrote on the board before Game 4 was 48. We wrote that number because that’s the way to beat a team like this — to play good basketball for 48 minutes,” said Mr. Reyes after stopping SMB’s 3-1 plan.

“In Game 3, we played well for 36 minutes and we lost in the end (89-95). Game 2 (92-111 loss), we played a very poor first half. Fortunately (Wednesday), we were able to come and deliver for the entire 48 minutes.”

Denied last time, the Beermen look to notch win No. 3 on their second try.

Game 4 was a test of the Tropang 5G’s character after they let a winnable position in the previous match slip away in the final 41 seconds, burned by CJ Perez’ insane late explosion.

Mr. Reyes’ troops passed theirs with flying colors.

“I thought we played great defense but CJ made a couple of super plays and there’s nothing you can do but keep your hand. Yun ang pinag-usapan namin — all we can do is just to move on to the next,” said Mr. Reyes.

Now it’s the Beermen’s turn to prove their worth and recover from their bad loss two nights ago.

Notes: If he would have his way, TNT’s RR Pogoy would like to return to action in the all-important Game 5 after re-injuring his hamstring in the second period of Wednesday’s match. Mr. Pogoy, who missed the first two games, admitted it was he who insisted on getting back to active duty again. But with a tricky injury, it’s still doubtful if the team would give him clearance to play on Friday. — Olmin Leyba