AARON Fuller returned for a third PBA tour of duty and helped the TNT Tropang Giga end the year on a bright note with a close win over the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters.
Even with short preparation with TNT, Fuller proved of help as the Tropang Giga repulsed the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, 95-92, at the close of PBA's "Season of Joy" presentation at the Smart Araneta Coliseum Sunday night.
Fuller helped TNT seize control in the third period before the Tropang Giga thwarted the Elasto Painters' fourth-quarter chase to chalk up their second win in four starts.
Rain or Shine suffered a second straight loss and dropped to 2-3.
Henry Walker stood at the forefront of Rain or Shine's endgame siege but missed a potential game-winning trey in the closing seconds, allowing Fuller to celebrate a winning comeback in the local pro league.
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Fuller delivered 13 points and 10 rebounds as the Tropang Giga triumphed at the close of the league's two-day Yuletide extravaganza supported by Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte.
A former import with NLEX and Blackwater who took over from McKenzie Moore, Fuller teamed up with Ryan Reyes, Poy Erram and Mikey Williams in TNT's decisive third-quarter run.
Beaten 33-20 in the third, Walker and the E-Painters waged a fightback in the fourth but came up short on the ROS import's missed trey in the last four seconds of play.
Going down the drain was Walker's game-high 32-point output that went with nine rebounds and three assists.
Mikey Williams topscored with TNT with 25 markers including four of the team's 13-of-33 hit from beyond the arc.
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RR Pogoy backed up Williams 18 markers, with Erram chipping in 15 and Jayson Castro and Reyes contributing 11 apiece. (SB)
The Scores:
TNT 95 - M. Williams 25, Pogoy 18, Erram 15, Fuller 13, Reyes 11, Castro 11, K. Williams 2, Heruela 0, Exciminiano 0, Khobuntin 0, Alejandro 0, Marcelo 0, Banal 0.
Rain or Shine 92- Walker 32, Mocon 13, Ponferada 12, Belga 11, Nambatac 9, Norwood 6, Asistio 5, Santillan 3, Caracut 1, Torres 0, Borboran 0, Wong 0, Jackson 0.
Quarters: 21-27, 44-47, 77-65, 95-92
