TNT eyes quick redemption from its deflating first loss of the 46th PBA Philippine Cup when it battles NLEX in a Wednesday afternoon showdown at the Don Honorio Ventura State U Gym in Bacolor, Pampanga.
After sweeping past their first six opponents, including second-running Magnolia and Meralco last week, the Tropang Giga were stopped on their tracks by San Miguel Beer, 67-83, last Wednesday.
The Tropang Giga were a shade of their usually deadly selves in that defeat, making only 26 of their 78 shots, missing all but eight of their 35 three-point attempts in the process, while badly losing the battle of the boards, 38 to 67.
The setback also marked the lowest scoring output for TNT since dropping a 63-77 defeat to Petron Blaze in the 2013-14 All-Filipino elims, making the Tropang Giga even more determined for a mighty rebound.
TNT's old reliables like Jayson Castro, Troy Rosario, RR Pogoy and veteran big Kelly Williams and rookie standout Mikey Williams are expected to step up again after hardly playing a big factor against SMB and even yielding team scoring honors to young guard Kib Montalbo.
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The Road Warriors (4-3) are in the same get-back-on-their-feet situation in the 3 p.m. faceoff.
NLEX absorbed a heartbreaking 105-112 double-overtime loss to Magnolia two days ago, ending its three-game win run.
It was a disappointing result in a game where the Road Warriors held a 16-point lead in the fourth quarter and even led by three in the dying seconds of the first overtime before Magnolia's Aris Dionisio knotted it from beyond the arc.
The Road Warriors missed all of their eight field goal tries in the second extra time and managed only 1-of-2 from the freethrow line, hastening their fall. (OL)
