TNT tries to avenge its lone defeat in the PBA Governors' Cup elims thus far, eyeing payback in tangling with Converge on Sunday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and his teammates seek revenge and at the same time another push in their playoffs aspiration as they take on Scotty Hopson and the rest of the FiberXers in their 7:30 p.m. face-off.
Coming back to mind going to this rematch is TNT's sorry defeat on the four-point bomb detonated by Hopson in the last three seconds.
Hopson himself put up the defensive gem on Hollis-Jefferson's try to bail TNT out in the dying seconds, and the FiberXers completed the steal, 96-95, marked by the biggest four-ball in PBA history thus far.
"That's a nice innovation, it's available to us so might as well use it," said Converge coach Franco Atienza then.
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The Tropang Giga have recovered from that fall, winning their last two outings to finish at 4-1 in the first round of the elims. The FiberXers, meanwhile, went 0-2 from that game, and they're sporting a 2-3 card going to this rematch.
So solid have been the Tropang Giga that they're leading Group A play despite injuries to key players.
Even with Calvin Oftana adding to their injured players, TNT took care of business and routed Terrafirma, 107-89, Thursday.
Hollis-Jefferson, with his own health woe, came through with 26 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists, and drew the needed support from Kim Aurin, Glenn Khobuntin and Rey Nambatac in their 18-point blowout of the Dyip.
"Willpower, resiliency," said Hollis-Jefferson on what's fueling his drive playing through a nagging ankle injury.
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"There was some pain, but they told me that nothing's broke or anything like that. I've played through pain my entire life so strap 'em up and let's go," he also said.
"RHJ" and the Tropang Giga are expected to kept their feet on the pedal as they resume chase of a quarterfinals berth.
Two wins away, they're expected to march on with or without injuries.(SB)
