MANILA, Philippines – A Don Trollano game-winner catapulted NLEX to a nail-biting 90-89 win over TNT in the PBA Philippine Cup at the Ynares Center in Antipolo on Thursday, June 16.

Trollano hit a fallaway jumper with 2.2 ticks left for the final tally as the Road Warriors came back from 12 points down to spoil the birthday bash of Tropang Giga star Roger Pogoy.

Pogoy, who turned 30 on Thursday, unloaded 28 points on a 4-of-5 clip from three-point land, but saw his sizzling shooting performance go to waste as TNT fizzled out in the fourth quarter.

A Pogoy layup gave the Tropang Giga a 78-66 lead with 11 minutes left before NLEX dropped a 14-2 blast – with 6 points each coming from Calvin Oftana and Kevin Alas – to knot the score at 80-80.

Oftana led the Road Warriors in scoring with 20 points to go with 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals, while Alas produced 16 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists.

TNT once again seized the upper hand off a 7-3 blitz capped by a Pogoy free throw only to witness Alas score 5 straight points that set up the frantic finish as NLEX grabbed an 88-87 edge.

Cleaning up after a Jayson Castro miss, Troy Rosario momentarily gave the Tropang Giga an 89-88 lead with eight seconds remaining.

But it was just not meant to be for TNT as Trollano, who finished with 11 points and 6 rebounds, took matters in his own hands by draining a jump shot over Glenn Khobuntin to guide the Road Warriors back on track.

JR Quiñahan came off the bench and tallied 18 points and 6 rebounds for NLEX, which improved to 2-1.

The Scores

NLEX 90 – Oftana 20, Quiñahan 18, Alas 16, Trollano 11, Rosales 8, Magat 5, Ighalo 4, Miranda 2, Soyud 2, Varilla 2, Semerad 0, Chua 0.

TNT 89 – Pogoy 28, K. Williams 11, Erram 11, Rosario 11, Castro 8, Khobuntin 5, Heruela 5, Alejandro 4, Cruz 2, Reyes 2, Tungcab 2, Marcelo 0, Ganuelas-Rosser 0, Banal 0.

Quarters: 26-24, 45-52, 66-74, 90-89. 

– Rappler.com