via Dason Stephan, Pressroom PH
And TNT’s dream of a Grand Slam lives on.
Sixth-ranked TNT Tropang 5G’s hopes of a Grand Slam grew brighter after escaping the third-seeded Magnolia Hotshots, 80-79, in the quarterfinals of the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium on Saturday, June 21.
After holding a comfortable lead at the end of the first half, the Tropang 5G saw their chance of a win almost slip away, as they were slowly getting pinned down in the fourth quarter.
However, they remained calm down the stretch and then regrouped to regain ground in the last seconds through clutch free throws from veteran Kelly Williams, spoiling the Hotshots twice-to-beat advantage and booking a ticket straight to the semifinals.
“Believe it or not, I kind of expected it because we have a very short rotation. I was just telling the players to just hold on. Just defend as well as we can, and we’re lucky Kelly made those two free throws,” said TNT head coach Chot Reyes.
Williams finished the game with a double-double performance at 10 points and 10 rebounds, while Calvin Oftana and Roger Pogoy listed 18 markers each to lead the Tropang 5G.
TNT entered the fourth with a seven-point gap, but it was soon cut down in the latter stages of the final frame due to them constantly coughing up blanks from the perimeter.
With three seconds left in the match and TNT trailing at 78-79, Jordan Heading took a pull-up four-pointer, and despite missing the shot, Williams fished for contact to earn a charity stripe trip.
Williams then sealed the deal after going perfect on the 15-foot line, ultimately handing his team the victory in the grueling quarterfinal clash.
Earlier, TNT had full control over the game, as they capitalized on perimeter shots to take a 41-33 lead at the end of the first half.
However, halfway through the third quarter, they were held scoreless for three whole minutes until Pogoy shifted to higher gear and punctuated the third with a buzzer beater to enter the fourth at 63-56.
In the fourth, it was a gritty battle for the lead, as neither side showed signs of backing down, but Williams made sure to lead his team to the next level at crunch time, after sinking two clutch free throws to nail Magnolia’s coffin.
“The spirit of the players, their unwillingness to give up, was the key here,” Williams explained in a post-game interview, highlighting how the team wanted to survive.
As remembered, the Grand Slam-seeking team outlasted the Hotshots in their previous encounter, wherein they forced tonight’s do-or-die game after slipping past them in an 89-88 cliffhanger last Wednesday.
Unfortunately for Magnolia, they were not able to capitalize on their higher seed advantage—the win-one incentive.
In their loss, Zav Lucero starred with 15 markers on top of 10 boards, while Ian Sangalang provided 14 points and seven rebounds.
TNT Tropang 5G will now face the no. 7 Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in the semifinals.
