Balanced effort tows TNT past NLEX in post-RDO era

MANILA, Philippines－ The TNT KaTropa went toe-to-toe with their foes until the final minutes, but they had enough gas in the tank to score a crucial 112-107 win against the NLEX Road Warriors in the 2017 PBA Governors’ Cup on Wednesday, September 13, at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.

Despite threats from the Road Warriors all throughout the match, the KaTropa preserved the win as veteran Jayson Castro sealed the deal with a triple that gave his team a 110-106 lead in the endgame.

Reinforcement Glen Rice Jr. led the way for TNT as he delivered a triple-double of 25 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists.

Kelly Williams also had 19, including crucial free throws with less than a minute left on the clock, while Troy Rosario finished with 17 points and 12 boards.

Castro and Mo Tautuaa added in the balanced offensive showing of the KaTropa after pitching in 13 and 12, respectively.

Aaron Fuller meanwhile registered a game-high 28 points coupled with 18 rebounds, while Alex Mallari and Larry Fonacier had 19 and 10, respectively, for NLEX.

The game was also the KaTropa’s first in the conference sans veteran Ranidel De Ocampo, who was shipped to the Meralco Bolts in a 3-team deal on Monday that ended the forward’s 9-year stint with the TNT franchise.

With the win, TNT rises to a 6-3 card in the season-ending conference. The Road Warriors, on the other hand, drop to 7-3.

The Scores

TNT (112) – Rice Jr. 25, Williams 19, Rosario 17, Castro 13, Tautuaa 12, Semerad 10, Reyes 8, Pogoy 6, Carey 2, Nuyles 0.

NLEX (107) – Fuller 28, Mallari 19, Fonacier 10, Alas 9, Baguio 7, Lastimosa 7, Al-Hussaini 6, Tiongson 5, Soyud 5, Quinahan 5, Rios 2, Ighalo 2, Taulava 2, J. Villanueva 0.

Quarter scores: 25-20, 50-46, 83-77, 112-107

－Rappler.com