MANILA, Philippines — Red-hot TNT added the free-falling NLEX to its list of victims, 94-87, and shored up its drive for a desired twice-to-beat quarterfinal bonus in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup yesterday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
The Tropang Giga rode on a blistering 17-7 rally midway through the payoff period to stem the tide and notch their fifth straight win for solo second spot at 5-2 behind league-leading NorthPort (7-2).
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson flirted with a triple-double with 23 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists plus three blocks as TNT moved past Converge (7-3) as well as the bundle of Meralco, Eastern and Barangay Ginebra with similar 6-3 slates in the heated hunt for the two twice-to-beat incentives in the quarterfinals.
Hotshots Roger Pogoy (18) and Calvin Oftana (14) were also on target while Kim Aurin and Poy Erram had eight points each in TNT’s yet another victory after a 0-2 start on the heels of their Governors’ Cup championship.
“We had no illusions that this would be an easy game. We knew this would be a hard game because NLEX was basically fighting for survival. We anticipated it,” said TNT coach Chot Reyes.
Earlier, Blackwater trounced Terrafirma in a duel between lowly squads, 96-86, to snap a four-game skid and keep its slim playoff chance alive.
The Bossing, who stared at an early 10-point deficit, broke free in the fourth quarter en route to a 2-7 slate with three games left in the elims.