TNT has three games left in its EASL regular season schedule and with three losses weighing down the Tropa, it’s an uphill climb to crash the Final Four where the ultimate survivor takes home the grand prize of $1 million.
Last Wednesday, TNT bowed to the Taipei Fubon Braves, 106-97 at the Heping Gymnasium to emerge as the only winless team in Group A with the Chiba Jets leading the pack at 3-0, Anyang Jung Kwan Jang Red Boosters of South Korea next at 1-0 and the Braves at 1-2. The top two finishers after six games in the eliminations will advance to the Final Four. TNT isn’t out of it yet but with one foot in the grave, the Tropa can’t afford to lose another assignment.
TNT’s last three outings are against Anyang in South Korea on Dec. 6, Fubon at home on Dec. 20 and Anyang at home on Jan. 24. In the PBA Commissioner’s Cup, TNT will play Terrafirma on Nov. 22, Meralco on Nov. 26, NorthPort on Dec. 1, NLEX on Dec. 13, Blackwater on Dec. 15, San Miguel Beer on Dec. 17, Barangay Ginebra on Dec. 25, Rain or Shine on Jan. 5 and Phoenix on Jan. 14. If TNT finishes among the top eight, it will move to the quarterfinals where the top four carry a twice-to-beat advantage. Then, if TNT stays alive, it will play in the best-of-five semifinals and if the Tropa survive, they will battle in the best-of-seven finals.
The EASL Final Four will be held on March 8 and 10. As the PBA reps in EASL, TNT and Meralco are at a disadvantage since they play with only one import in the Commissioner’s Cup. In EASL, they play with two imports and it’s not easy to shift gears. Against Fubon last Wednesday, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Quincy Miller accounted for 70 percent of TNT’s output. Miller had a hot start with 24 points in the first half then scored 10 the rest of the way. Without significant local support, relying on two imports to smother the stats sheet is a recipe for disaster. But how much practice time do TNT and Meralco set aside playing with two imports when the Commissioner’s Cup is ongoing? Fubon’s imports Chris Johnson and Michael Singletary delivered 50 percent of the Braves production, drawing strong support from Sedric Barefield (21 points) and Ifeanyi Eboka (13).
Fubon and the five other non-PBA teams in EASL slide smoothly playing in their domestic leagues and EASL because they’re allowed to deploy two imports either way. In the Japanese B-League, the rule is a team may play two imports at the same time plus a naturalized player or an Asian heritage player. In the Korean league, it’s two imports plus an Asian heritage player. In the Taiwan Plus League, it’s two imports plus two Asian heritage players or a foreign student athlete and one Asian heritage player. Fubon, for instance, has four imports in its roster but only two can be in the lineup for a game. Fubon’s other imports are Igor Zaytsev and Stephen Zimmerman. Barefield is the Braves’ Asian heritage import while Eboka and Brendon Smart alternate as the foreign student athletes.
So far, the PBA teams in EASL are winless. Meralco’s first game was a 28-point loss to Ryukyu last Wednesday. Adjusting gameplans from the PBA to EASL with moving parts is a reality that confronts the Tropa and Bolts. It’s tough but the experience will go a long way in overcoming hurdles in the future. EASL presents an opportunity to grow the game in the region. PBA teams can only get better playing against Asia’s best.