[av_one_full first min_height=” vertical_alignment=” space=” custom_margin=” margin=’0px’ padding=’0px’ border=” border_color=” radius=’0px’ background_color=” src=” background_position=’top left’ background_repeat=’no-repeat’ animation=”]
[av_heading heading=’TNT tarnishes Beermen slate with first Comm’s Cup loss’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
By ADRIAN STEWART CO
[/av_heading]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”]
Sunday, May 7, 2017
[/av_textblock]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”]
MANILA – TNT Katropa leaned on the explosive game of Donte Greene to score a 112-103 victory over the San Miguel Beermen in the 2017 Oppo PBA Commissioner’s Cup on Friday night at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
Greene, who previously played for the Sacramento Kings in the NBA, finished with double-double 41 points and 20 rebounds for the Katropa, which has improved to a 6-2 win-loss record.
Kelly Williams added 15 markers, while Larry Fonacier, Ryan Garcia and Moala Tautuaa contributed 14, 12 and 11 points, respectively, for the Katropa, which played without Gilas players Jeth Troy Rosario, Roger Pogoy and Jayson Castro.
From a tight start, the Katropa pulled away late in the opening period with conversions from Greene and Garcia for a 21-14 edge. Triples by Greene and Fonacier in the second half widened it further to 53-42 at halftime.
The Beermen rallied to within six points early in the third canto but the Katropa had a quick response behind Garcia and Williams for a 75-61 lead which was cut by the Beermen to 79-70 heading into the 83-77 early in the fourth.
The Katropa, however, widened the lead again to 100-89 on five straight points by Garcia. But the Beermen mounted its own rally and was able to come to as close as 100-98 on a basket by Chris Ross.
But the Katropa put on the finishing touches as a triple by Fonacier followed by twinners by Greene and Williams increased the lead to 107-98 before sealing it with another Fonacier trey.
“I think we were just fortunate today that wala si June Mar (Fajardo),” said Katropa head coach Nash Racela. “It’s nice also that while we lost three players to the Gilas program, guys were really ready to step up, step forward, and they were ready to contribute.”
Reinforcement Charles Rhodes top-scored with 43 points, while Ross and Marcio Lassiter each had 17 markers for the Beermen, which suffered its first defeat in six matches./PN
[/av_textblock]
[/av_one_full]
