TNT seeks to end 6-year title drought - The Manila Times

APPALLING DEFENSE Magnolia needs to have all its players in full battle gear in Game Five to have a chance of winning and extend the PBA Philippine Cup final series. TNT is ahead 3-1 and needs one more win to clinch the championship. PBA PHOTO

A six-year title drought could end today for the TNT Tropang Giga as head coach Chot Reyes and company go for the kill in Game Five of the PBA best-of-seven championship series against the Magnolia Hotshots at the Don Honorio Ventura State University gym in Bacolor, Pampanga.

TNT came up with another dominant performance in Game Four as the Tropang Giga displayed balanced production to put more pressure on the side of the Hotshots.

TNT, ahead in the series at 3-1, needs one more win to secure the crown, but Magnolia needs to sweep the remainder of the series to steal the title.

TNT can notch its first championship in six years and claim its sixth all-Filipino crown with a win in Game Five, but Reyes, who is also on the verge of winning his first title in nine years, is not looking far ahead.

For the eight-time PBA champion coach, his main concern is the first six minutes of the first quarter of Game Five and making sure the Tropang Giga will dictate the tempo and control the flow of the game anew.

"We cannot look ahead of ourselves and to be honest, we're not thinking about it (the championship)," said Reyes. "Our focus really is Game Five, not just Game Five, but more importantly, the first six minutes of the match."

In the three games the Tropang Giga had won in the series, the team had a good start and took a commanding lead early in the game. In those games, head coach Chito Victolero and the Hotshots were unable to keep up with the Tropang Giga.

In Game 4 last Wednesday, TNT pulled away for good in the second period and posted its biggest lead at 57-39 en route to a 106-89 victory.

Mikey Williams, the sensational TNT rookie, continued his onslaught in offense, leading the way with 26 points on top of six triples. But unlike in Game 3's loss by the Tropang Giga, he got plenty of help from the rest of the members of the team.

Williams may have lost the Best Player of the Conference (BPC) derby to Magnolia's Calvin Abueva, who won the award after edging the explosive newcomer in stats and media votes, but the TNT rookie is a cinch to win the Finals MVP award if ever his team emerges as champion.

In the BPC race, Abueva garnered 934 total points after topping the statistical race and the media votes.

Williams ended up second in the selection with 843 points. The rookie, however, was first in the votes of the PBA selection committee and the players.

Placing in third was Ian Sangalang, the most consistent performer for the Hotshots in the title series, who tallied 591 points.

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TNT seeks to end 6-year title drought - The Manila Times
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