MANILA, Philippines — TNT shackled rival San Miguel Beer, 115-97, and stayed in a heated arms race to a Top Two finish and twice-to-beat incentives in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup yesterday at the Ynares Sports Center in Antipolo City.
The Tropang Giga dashed to a 31-19 start and never looked back to drub the Beermen and climb to 8-3 for solo second just behind league-leading NorthPort (9-3).
A win by TNT against its last assignment in Rain or Shine (6-5) and a loss by Meralco (7-3) to either of its final two games against rival Ginebra and Magnolia would ensure the MVP-owned club a coveted win-once incentive with a sure Top-Two finish.
Otherwise, multiple ties would ensue to be broken by quotient tiebreak.
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson once again stamped an all-around play of 35 points, 21 rebounds, 10 assists, three steals and a block to lead TNT’s coast-to-coast win.
Snipers Roger Pogoy and Calvin Oftana added 22 and 16 points, respectively, while veterans Jayson Castro and Poy Erram had 14 points each for the wards of coach Chot Reyes in their second straight win after a deflating 117-108 defeat to Terrafirma.
Significant for TNT was putting itself in a position to contend for the Top Two, overcoming its flat 0-2 start in the tourney.
“That’s the important thing. Things are unpredictable but the best thing is to give ourselves a shot,” said TNT coach Chot Reyes.
They pursue their chase as they tangle with the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in their final game in the elims on Jan. 31 over at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig.
Suffering a tremendous blow was San Miguel with the loss that gave the titleholder a 5-7 closing card.
The Beermen dropped down from eighth place to 10th, with the NLEX Road Warriors (5-6) and the Magnolia Hotshots improving to joint eighth.
Earlier in the night, Magnolia whipped Eastern, 107-78.