TNT turned on its defensive switch in the third period to overcome a series of double-digit deficits and beat NLEX, 107-102 , at the start of the PBA Governors’ Cup best-of-five quarterfinals series at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium on Wednesday.
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson worked double time in the second half, while Calvin Oftana picked up his scoring during the late stretch, but it was the defense of the Tropang Giga in the third quarter which turned out to be the momentum shifter for the defending champions.
“We knew it’s going to be a difficult series. I thought if we can limit one of them (Robert Bolick and DeQuan Jones), we have a good chance of winning,” said TBT coach Chot Reyes. “We just have to buckle down and tightened our defense and it paid off.”
For Hollis-Jefferson, it’s all about finding the right moment.
Shooting only 3-of-10 in the first half, Hollis-Jefferson found his rhythm in the second half and ended the match with 45 points. The former Best Import flirted with a triple-double performance as he also grabbed 10 boards while dishing out seven assists.
Oftana, still bothered by a busted lip he had during the previous game, obviously struggled offensively, but contributed eight markers, including two clutch treys down the stretch.
“You saw how much he struggled in the first half,” added Reyes. “He wasn’t himself offensively and defensively and I think really the stitches (on his lip) are still bothering him. But later on, when he gotten into the groove of the ball game, sa init na ng laban, you forget those things in the ball game. The player and the competitor in you takes over. I think that’s what happened to Calvin.”
RR Pogoy and Jayson Castro combined for 25 points while Rey Nambatac produced 11 as TNT’s bench outplayed NLEX, 29-4.
