MANILA – TNT Tropang Giga stayed alive in the 2020 Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup semifinals following a 102-101 Game 4 escape over Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters at the AUF Sports Arena and Cultural Center in Pampanga last night.
Bobby Ray Parks Jr. tallied 36 points, including five triples, Jayson Castro added 21 markers while Roger Pogoy and Simon Enciso contributed 18 and 14 markers respectively for TNT.
The Tropang Giga surged to a 21-12 opening lead with early hits from Parks and Anthony Washington. The Fuel Masters pulled to within 25-28 early in the second, but consecutive hits by Castro allowed TNT to build a 48-38 halftime edge.
TNT went on to build its largest lead at 57-40 early in the third period with hits from Parks and Castro, but Phoenix responded with a huge rally to come to within 68-69 heading into the fourth.
The Tropang Giga managed to pull away anew at 86-75 in the fourth quarter and was comfortably ahead 94-84 with over two minutes left before the Fuel Masters unloaded a barrage of triples late in the match but could only inch to as close as 101-102.
Matthew Wright finished the match with 34 points, including seven triples while Jason Perkins and Calvin Abueva contributed 19 and 17 markers respectively for the Fuel Masters.
In PBA’s first game, Meralco Bolts also kept their championship aspirations alive with a come-from-behind 83-80 win over Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings in Game 4 of their best-of-five semifinals. The series are now tied at 2-2.
Down 79-80 following back-to-back conversions by Kings center Japeth Aguilar, Bacolodnon Reynel Hugnatan surged the Bolts ahead at 81-80 with a two-pointer with 15 seconds left.
Meralco then came up with a huge defensive stop as Raymond Almazan blocked Stanley Pringle’s attempt that led to an uncontested layup by Chris Newsome to widen the Bolts’ lead to 83-80.
Hugnatan finished the match with 19 points while Newsome and Clifford Hodge contributed 16 markers apiece for the Bolts. Pringle paced the Kings with 18 markers, seven rebounds and six assists.
BOX SCORE:
TNT 102 – Parks 36, Castro 21, Pogoy 18, Enciso 14, Washington 6, Erram 4, Montalbo 3, Rosario 0, Reyes 0, Semerad 0, De Leon 0, Vosotros 0.
PHOENIX 101 – Wright 34, Perkins 19, Abueva 17, Jazul 11, Chua 10, Rios 4, Garcia 4, Heruela 2, Mallari 0, Reyes 0, Intal 0, Napoles 0.
QUARTERSCORES:
Q1, 21-12; Q2, 48-38; Q3, 69-68; Q4, 102-101./PN
