Unbeaten TNT turned what was expected to be a dogfight with defending champion San Miguel Beer into a one-sided beatdown after rolling to a 107-88 victory for its third straight win in the PBA Philippine Cup at the Angeles University Foundation Sports and Cultural Center.
Poy Erram scored a career-high 27 points and grabbed 15 rebounds as the Tropang Giga regained the solo lead in the bubble season at the expense of the Beermen, who dropped to 1-2 after absorbing their second straight loss.
Erram followed the lead of teammates RR Pogoy and Ray Parks Jr. who registered new career highs in scoring against Alaska and Terrafirma, respectively.
Pogoy and Parks set the tone in the rout, scoring 10 points each in the first quarter that saw TNT take a 30-18 lead before Erram and the rest joined the fray in turning the contest into a lopsided affair.
Parks finished with 22 points on 8-of-11 shooting and Pogoy added 15. Troy Rosario scored 16 and Jayson Castro dished out 11 assists for the Tropang Giga.
TNT led by a high of 22 points, 90-68 during the fourth, something coach Bong Ravena didn’t expect.
“Even if without (June Mar) Fajardo, we won’t take our chances. We have to be serious about playing them because it’s a big hurdle us,” said Ravena. “Maybe we were fortunate that June Mar is not playing and the way they’re playing, maybe they’re fine-tuned. So we’re just thankful for the win.”
The Tropang Giga won a contest marred by injuries, with the Beermen losing Terrence Romeo to a dislocated shoulder during the second quarter.
Romeo bumped into TNT’s Ryan Reyes with 4:57 left in the period and TNT up 43-35 and was later sent to the Medical City in Clark for observation.
Pogoy also got the injury bug early in the fourth when he sprained his left ankle while guarding SMB’s Marcio Lassiter.
Alex Cabagnot scored 15 points and Marcio Lassiter had 14 points for the Beermen in the defeat.
The scores:
TNT 107 — Erram 27, Parks 22, Rosario 16, Pogoy 15, Castro 11, Enciso 10, Reyes 3, Flores 3, Semerad 0, De Leon 0, Washington 0, Vosotros 0, Alejandro 0.
SAN MIGUEL 88 — Cabagnot 15, Lassiter 14, Ross 13, Santos 11, Romeo 11, Tautuaa 9, Zamar 5, Pessumal 3, Mamaril 2, Gamalinda 2, Escoto 2, De Guzman 1, Alolino 0, Comboy 0.
Quarters: 30-18, 57-38, 92-70, 107-88.