Chot hoping for TNT shots to fall

MANILA, Philippines — TNT head coach Chot Reyes rued the Tropa’s poor field goal percentage in Game Three of the PBA Governors’ Cup Finals against Barangay Ginebra at the Smart Araneta Coliseum last Friday and said the bottom line is to make shots in Game Four tonight.

In Game Three, TNT hit .326 from the field and lost, 85-73. It was the Tropa’s lowest output and shooting clip in the playoffs. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Roger Pogoy, Rey Nambatac, Calvin Oftana and Glenn Khobuntin were a combined 18-of-73 shots or a .286 field goal percentage. In Games One and Two which TNT won, Reyes’ squad hit an average of .500.

Reyes said Ginebra did something different in Game Three as coach Tim Cone started veteran LA Tenorio for the first time this conference and played another tested warrior Joe DeVance for the first time in the Finals. Tenorio, 40, collected nine points and four steals in 16:41 minutes while DeVance, 42, had two points, one rebound, two assists and a steal in 15:32, both delivering quality time.

TNT team manager Jojo Lastimosa echoed Reyes’ assessment. “We had 20 more attempts (86 to 66) that we didn’t capitalize by shooting poorly,” he said. Lastimosa mentioned Ginebra adjusted its offense to create opportunities for higher percentage shots. “They found their perimeter shooting and went away from jacking up threes so we just need to be better at staying in front,” he said. Ginebra shot .390 in Game One and .356 in Game Two but hit .500 in Game Three, proving Lastimosa’s point.