After a slow start to the season, TNT Tropang 5G will barge into the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup playoffs as the second seed, routing the LA Tenorio-headed Magnolia Hotshots, 94-83 on the last day of the elimination round on Sunday night at the Araneta Coliseum.
The Tropang 5G relied on their strong connection from beyond the arc to demolish the Hotshots and clinched a secured twice-to-beat privilege entering the quarterfinals.
Leading the way for the scorching TNT, Jordan Heading saved his best for the last game of the regulation, pouring in 23 points, alongside six rebounds and two assists. The national team guard also paced the Tropang 5G with a 3-of-4 clip from the four-point range.
The team ended the elims with an 8-3 win-loss record, with them notching their third straight win and at the same time spoiling the playing-coach debut of Tenorio.
Calvin Oftana also flirted with a double-double, finishing with 17 points and nine rebounds, while Rey Nambatac and Kelly Williams contributed with 11 each for TNT.
“We approached this mindset that we needed two wins. So we knew whatever happens, we needed to get two wins. So we win tonight, we need to get one more win. If we lost tonight, we still needed to get two wins,” Tropang 5G head coach Chot Reyes said.
Magnolia had their chances with Zavier Lucero and rookie big man Yukien Andrada spearheading their late-game run. Fresh from a historic championship run with San Beda Red Lions in NCAA Season 101, Andrada made his presence felt early, knocking down consecutive baskets that trimmed the lead of TNT to just two possessions, 86-81.
But it wasn’t enough as TNT closed things out with an 8-2 run that sealed the deal.
Andrada tallied 12 points and nine rebounds in his first game in the big league. Meanwhile, Lucero scored 17 points for Magnolia, which dropped to 6-5 standing.
Tenorio had four points, two rebounds, and three assists in his first-ever game as a playing-coach. Tenorio was forced to come out of retirement after Magnolia’s primary guards, Paul Lee and Jerom Lastimosa, were injured, which kept them on the sidelines.
Lee suffered a hamstring injury in Hotshots’ loss to Rain or Shine last Monday in Bahrain. He joined Lastimosa on the growing injury list of the team, who is still nursing an ankle sprain.
This will not be the last time that these two teams will meet each other in this conference, as the third-seeded TNT will face the sixth-seeded Magnolia in the quarterfinals. Tropang 5G will look to advance to the Final Four while Hotshots will look to keep their season alive this Saturday, December 27, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.