MANILA – TNT Tropang Giga nearly wasted a double-digit edge before holding off Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, 95-92, in the 2021 PBA Governors’ Cup on Sunday night at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
The Tropang Giga were on top 93-81 following a free throw by Mikey Williams but the Painters mounted a huge fight back behind Henry Walker and Rey Nambatac to trim the deficit to 92-93.
The Painters even had a chance to snatch the lead but Walker misfired his top of the key three-pointer. John Paul Erram then secured the win for the Tropang Giga with two free throws.
Williams top-scored with 25 points, including four three-point conversions. Roger Pogoy and Erram chipped in 18 and 15 markers, respectively.
With the win, the Tropang Giga improved to a 2-2 slate.
Aaron Fuller, who replaced McKenzie Moore as TNT’s reinforcement, had double-double 13 points and 10 rebounds. Jayson Castro and Ryan Reyes ended up with 11 points each.
Tropang Giga head coach Vincent “Chot” Reyes said the subpar numbers of Fuller was understandable since it was just the team’s first time to see him during the game after coming out of quarantine just last Saturday night.
“He wasn’t able to practice so we were doing things on the fly. We were doing a lot of adjustments on the fly, on the court,” said Reyes.
“And that’s why it entailed a lot of flexibility, the ability to adjust, and agility on our part. That was our thinking coming into the ball game,” added Reyes on Fuller, who had stints with NLEX Road Warriors and Blackwater before.
Walker ended up with 32 points, nine rebounds, three assists and three steals. Jayvee Mocon, Jewel Ponferrada and Beau Belga added 13, 12 and 11 points, respectively, as the Painters dropped to 2-3.
Meanwhile, the PBA Governors’ Cup takes a week-long break before resuming on Jan. 5, 2022 with a double-header between Magnolia Hotshots and Blackwater Bossing at 3 pm. and Meralco Bolts and Alaska Aces at six in the evening.
BOX SCORE:
TNT 95 – M. Williams 25, Pogoy 18, Erram 15, Fuller 13, Reyes 11, Castro 11, K. Williams 2, Heruela 0, Khobuntin 0, Alejandro 0, Banal 0, Exciminiano 0, Marcelo 0.
RAIN OR SHINE 92 – Walker 32, Mocon 13, Ponferrada 12, Belga 11, Nambatac 9, Norwood 6, Asistio 5, Santillan 3, Caracut 1, Jackson 0, Wong 0, Borboran 0, Torres 0.
Quarterscores: 21-27, 44-47, 77-65, 95-92./PN
