Finally, TNT gets a break

It hasn’t been a smooth ride for TNT in the run-up to the PBA’s 48th season opening game where the Tropang Giga faces Magnolia at the Smart Araneta Coliseum tonight. TNT lost twice to the Japanese B-League runner-up Chiba Jets in a low start to its EASL campaign with more than a handful of players unavailable for duty.

In TNT’s first encounter with Chiba in Funabashi two weeks ago, interim head coach Jojo Lastimosa went to battle without Mikey Williams (impasse in contract renegotiations), Justin Chua (injury), Calvin Oftana (rest after the Asian Games), RR Pogoy (medical treatment) and Poy Erram (injury). Rondae Hollis-Jefferson checked in without a single practice after a grueling grind in the Asian Games as Jordan’s naturalized import. TNT managed to limit Chiba’s star guard Yuki Togashi to two points but the Jets rifled in 16 triples to the Tropa’s six in breaking out of a one-point halftime lead to win, 93-75. Jefferson never got his rhythm and went 0-of-9 from three.

The rematch was in Sta. Rosa last Wednesday and this time, Jefferson was in street clothes, watching hopelessly from the sidelines. He’d been hospitalized with acute gastritis and was totally dehydrated, leaving the import chores to Quincy Miller. Chua, Pogoy, Williams and Erram were still out with Lastimosa bringing in Oftana, Jewel Ponferada and Carl Bryan Cruz to fill in. The Jets showed up with 10 players but three were imports – 6-9 John Mooney, 6-6 DJ Stephens and 6-4 Ira Brown. Kelly Williams gave up three inches to Mooney in their matchup and without Jefferson helping out, it was tough to stop the former Notre Dame center who finished with 30 points and 16 rebounds. Miller got off to a flat start, scoring only two free throws in the first half then led a spirited charge in the third quarter where TNT outscored Chiba by 10. Matt Ganuelas-Rosser held Togashi scoreless in the second half after the 5-6 dynamo fired 14 in the first but the Jets turned to Mooney for the big buckets to cruise to a 75-66 win.

With Jefferson still not fully recovered, TNT asked for Converge’s clearance to suit up Miller tonight. Converge had previously cleared Miller to play for TNT in EASL but kept his rights in the PBA. TNT had until 12 noon yesterday to secure Converge’s clearance and in a photo finish, nailed it. “Turns out the release Converge gave earlier was only for EASL and not the PBA so we had to scramble,” said TNT’s Chot Reyes.

Finally, TNT got a break. Miller, who turns 31 on Nov. 18, averaged 29.8 points in 13 games for Converge in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup last season and has hefty credentials. He played for Denver, Sacramento and Detroit in three NBA seasons, logging 16 starts in 69 games while earning $1.7 million. Miller was the Nuggets’ second round pick in the 2012 NBA draft and has played as an import in Serbia, Israel, Germany, Puerto Rico, Spain, Taiwan, Portugal, Uruguay and Japan. He suited up for the champion USA squad at the FIBA Americas U18 Championships in 2010, averaging 14 points and 9.2 rebounds.

Tonight, TNT is up against a team on a mission. Magnolia topped the PBA OnTour summer series and was the only unbeaten squad with an 11-0 record and an average winning margin of 20.2 points. The Chicken Timplados Hotshots finished third in the Philippine and Commissioner’s Cups last season and haven’t won a championship since the 2018 Governors’ Cup. The title drought has extended to the last nine conferences and coach Chito Victolero is overdue for a second crown. TNT is looking for back-to-back championships after claiming the last Governors’ Cup trophy. With Miller in harness and Jefferson waiting in the wings, the Tropa is a serious title contender like Magnolia so tonight’s clash should be a barnburner.