TNT coach Chot Reyes believes things would have been different had dethroned PBA Philippine Cup champion Barangay Ginebra San Miguel fielded a complete lineup through its campaign.

Ginebra’s title reign came to an end Wednesday, Sept. 29 as a depleted roster couldn’t overcome top seed TNT in an 84-71 defeat in the quarterfinals.

For Reyes, the Tropang Giga are perhaps fortunate that the Gin Kings didn’t have their full arsenal given their preseason label as one of the teams to beat.

“I’m sure every team in the league would not want to face Ginebra in the quarterfinals, more so if they had a complete roster,” Reyes said after his team’s entry to the best-of-seven semifinals. “But then again, if Ginebra had a complete roster, I doubt if they would be in eighth place.”

Coming off a title last season inside the bubble and acquiring Christian Standhardinger from NorthPort last March, Ginebra was primed for another title run in the 46th season beginning with the defense of the league’s most important championship.

But Ginebra started the conference with a 19-point loss to NLEX and was 2-2 when the eliminations were halted to the stricter quarantine regulations in Metro Manila.

Things didn’t go well once the Philippine Cup resumed in Bacolor, Pampanga, suffering a shock 95-90 loss to Terrafirma in the first game of the restart. The Gin Kings managed to win just twice over the next four games at the Don Honorio Ventura State University before defeating the Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters in a playoff to secure the eighth and final quarters berth.

But the loss of Japeth Aguilar in the last two weeks after suffering an MCL sprain and Scottie Thompson for about a week due to the league’s health and safety protocols finally caught up on Ginebra as it couldn’t sustain a solid start and saw TNT take a huge lead in the second half.

“It is what it is and that’s the way it turned out,” said Reyes, whose team now sets its sight on the best-of-seven semis against San Miguel Beer or NorthPort.

For Troy Rosario, who had 15 points, five rebounds and three assists in the win, there’s a sense of vindication after TNT was on the losing end of last year’s Philippine Cup title showdown with Ginebra.

TNT had chances to win at least one of the first two games, only for Ginebra to find ways to take both and eventually close out the series with a 4-1 triumph.

“Siyempre masaya kasi bagong team, bagong conference, tapos yung team na nag-eliminate sa amin sa finals last conference ay tinalo namin,” said Rosario, referring also to the return of Reyes as coach, the addition of rookie Mikey Williams and the return of Kelly Williams to name a few.

“Talagang yung unang sinabi sa amin ni coach kanina sa pre-game, yung urgency. How bad do we want it today? Kasi alam namin na pag binigyan namin sila ng chance, talagang 50-50 na yan pagdating ng second game. So nalagpasan namin yung challenge ngayon. On to the next one.”