TNT feels pressure

MANILA, Philippines — And now it can be told.

A moot point until you win two titles in a row and become a potential Grand Slam champion.

With a hard-earned victory in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup, the TNT Tropang Giga pushed themselves closer to a rare grand slam, which only four PBA franchises had ever tasted in the league’s rich 50-year history.

“Of course, hindi na natin maiiwasan ‘yun (Grand Slam talks),” said TNT coach Chot Reyes on the heels of a gutsy 87-83 overtime win against rival Ginebra in Game 7 of the finals before 21,000 fans last Friday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

“With this victory, we’ve put ourselves in that position,” added Reyes, now with 11 titles as a PBA coach, the same number of victories for the MVP franchise.

“I acknowledge that fact now. There’s going to be tremendous pressure on us. There’s going to be a huge target on our back as 11 other teams are going to do their best to stop us,” added Reyes, who tied Norman Black as the third-winningest coach in the PBA behind Tim Cone’s 25 and Baby Dalupan’s 15.

The Tropang Giga’s title conquest was an encore to its Governors’ Cup title late last year – coincidentally against the Gin Kings as well – to usher in the PBA Season 49.

Only one conference, the forthcoming Philippine Cup, now separates them from replicating the feats of Crispa (twice in 1976 and 1983), San Miguel (1989), Alaska (1996) and San Mig Coffee (2014) as the only Grand Slam conquerors in PBA history.

The harder part of winning the first two conferences was over and done with. So, for Reyes, here comes the hardest one – with 11 teams gunning for their heads to prevent such a feat happening on their watch.

“As you can see, we don’t really have the best talent, we don’t have the deepest bench, but there’s something in our players. They just refuse to quit. That’s what we’re going to bring into this next conference.”

Reyes is no neophyte in this situation, steering TNT the Philippine Cup and Commissioner’s Cup titles in 2011 only to lose to Petron in Game 7 of the Governors’ Cup.

And as if knowing the herculean task of completing a grand slam is not enough, TNT has to adjust to fulfilling this without injured Jayson Castro and three-time Best Import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, who was with them in the first two titles this season and three overall since last year.

“He’s (RHJ) not gonna be around so I told the locals, it’s all up to you. I told Calvin (Oftana), I told Roger (Pogoy). They have to lead us in the next conference without Rondae. But we have no illusions about it. We know it’s going to be very, very hard,” ordered Reyes.

Reyes said the only motivation that matters is the one within the Tropang Giga – like how they defied the odds in the first two titles.

“You can bet that we’re going to come out and work even harder and try our best,” he said.