TNT reigns supreme, bags PH Cup title
TNT’s long wait for a championship finally came to an end Friday, Oct. 29 after finishing off Magnolia Pambansang Manok, 94-79, to win the PBA Philippine Cup at the Don Honorio Ventura State University in Bacolor, Pampanga.
The Tropang Giga delivered the knockout blow on the Hotshots in the fifth game of the championship series behind another big first half on their way to returning to the winner’s podium for the first time since the 2015 Commissioner’s Cup.
It also snapped San Miguel Corporation’s streak of 11 straight championships as Manny V. Pangilinan finally saw one of his three PBA ballclubs savor the thrill of victory at the expense of his corporate rival.
Emotional scenes were witnessed the moment the final buzzer sounded as TNT lifted the Jun Bernardino Perpetual Trophy after a conference that started in Pasig City, endured a month-long wait after COVID-19 cases went up in the metro before enduring a two-month stay in Pampanga upon resumption of its title drive.
It was a triumphant return for winning coach Chot Reyes, who was brought back by TNT management nine years after his last PBA stint in hopes of bringing the Tropang Giga back to their glory days.
He did it by steering TNT to the best record in the eliminations at 10-1 and started the playoffs by ending the Philippine Cup reign of a sluggish Barangay Ginebra squad in the quarters before surviving a tough seven-game semifinal series with San Miguel Beer.
The title series was a breeze, leaning on strong first half performances in Games 1 and 2, and then bounced back from a frustrating loss in the third match to complete TNT’s sixth All-Filipino and eighth overall.
Also responsible in TNT’s run was the play of Mikey Williams, who was heralded as the Honda-PBA Press Corps Finals Most Valuable Player after ending the series with 24 points.
Williams ended the series with averages of 27.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.8 assists to join Danny Seigle and Brandon Cablay as the only rookies to win the Finals MVP plum.
But like in all of the previous wins, it was a collective effort that resulted in another lopsided victory.
A 10-2 run to end the first quarter gave TNT a 21-14 lead as it was able to translate seven Magnolia in that period to 10 points.
Williams, Jayson Castro, RR Pogoy, Troy Rosario and Kib Montalbo continued the onslaught in the second quarter as the Tropang Giga ballooned their lead to 45-22, leaving the Hotshots to search for answers.
Magnolia went into halftime trailing 47-33 after rookie Jerrick Ahanmisi scored eight in an 11-2 windup. But TNT was too determined to win it all and held a 25-point lead in the second half.
Pogoy had 19 points, three rebounds, two assists and three steals, Castro produced 10 points, two rebounds, three assists and two steals to claim his seventh PBA title in his high school alma mater while Poy Erram while also key for TNT with seven points, 10 rebounds and four blocks.
Ian Sangalang finished with 18 points, nine rebounds and two blocks and Calvin Abueva added 14 points and seven boards for the Hotshots, who lost in the Philippine Cup Finals for the third time in the last four seasons.
The scores:
TNT 94 — Williams M. 24, Pogoy 19, Castro 10, Rosario 9, Reyes 9, Khobuntin 8, Montalbo 7, Erram 7, Williams K. 1, Heruela 0, Exciminiano 0, Alejandro 0.
MAGNOLIA 79 — Sangalang 18, Abueva 14, Ahanmisi 11, Barroca 10, Lee 7, Dela Rosa 5, Dionisio 5, Reavis 4, Pascual 4, Jalalon 1, Corpuz 0, Melton 0, Brill 0.
Quarters: 21-14, 47-33, 72-53, 94-79.