Nambatac the hero as TNT fights back to beat Meralco in OT
At A Glance
- Rey Nambatac was clutch in regulation and in the extra period as TNT came back from 23-point deficit to beat Meralco, 100-98, in the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup at the Ynares Center in Antipolo on Wednesday, Oct. 29.
Rey Nambatac was clutch in regulation and in the extra period as TNT came back from 23-point deficit to beat Meralco, 100-98, in the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup at the Ynares Center in Antipolo on Wednesday, Oct. 29.
The veteran playmaker nailed the go-ahead jumper over Chris Banchero with 0.9 seconds left in the overtime to lift the Tropang 5G to their third straight win and in tie with the NLEX Road Warriors atop the standings with 4-1 record.
Nambatac fired 22 points – built on three four pointers, none bigger than the one he nailed that gave TNT a first taste of the lead since the opening frame, 90-87, with 1:04 left in regulation.
Chris Newsome, however, drained a trey of his own with 17 ticks remaining in the fourth quarter to send the game to the extra period.
Calvin Oftana led TNT with 24 points while RR Pogoy and Brandon Ganuelas Rosser each had 14.
Newsome led the way for Meralco with 24 points while Cliff Hodge had 21 although the team failed to keep its hold of the lead that went to as high as 23, 51-28 early in the third.
Meanwhile in the opening game, NLEX fended off Blackwater, 99-88, behind the stellar play of JB Bahio.
The Road Warriors kept the hard-fighting Bossing at bay as Bahio posted 23 points and six rebounds while Xyrus Torres fired 18 points. Robert Bolick also had a double-double of 15 points and 12 rebounds.
Sedrick Barefield, who led a third quarter uprising for Blackwater, paced his team with 19 but not enough to prevent his team from absorbing its third straight loss for a 1-3 record.