The TNT Tropang Giga picked up from where they left off the last time, once again blasting the NLEX Road Warriors, 125-96, to book entry into the PBA Governors' Cup semifinals at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium Tuesday night.
From a 109-91 win on Sunday, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and his teammates stuck to their strengths and got things done, resulting to a 29-point blowout win and a 3-1 triumph in the race-to-three quarters series.
After racing to a 10-point lead in the opening quarter, the Tropang Giga scored the first 11 points in the second quarter then sustained a dominant effort to seal the deal.
With their quick disposal of the Road Warriors, the Tropang Giga will enjoy some rest while awaiting the outcome of the Rain or Shine-Magnolia matchup.
The Elasto Painters and the Hotshots clash in a knockout Game 5 on Saturday, with the winners advancing to the best-of-seven semifinal series versus the Tropang Giga.
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The other semis pairing will pit Barangay Ginebra versus either San Miguel Beer or Converge.
"In basketball, it's about playing defense and putting the ball in the hoops. In the quarterfinals, we finally hit some shots," said TNT coach Chot Reyes in their successful ride versus coach Jong Uichico's crew.
But from a relatively smooth trek in the quarters, Reyes is anticipating a tough climb in the semis.
"Whichever we play will be a much different team, and it will be a test for our flexibility and adaptability. It will be a big test for our defense," Reyes said.
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson looks forward to that test, determined to get going in a bid to help the team defend the crown they won over Barangay Ginebra in 2023.
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Hollis-Jefferson punched in 35 points with 11 rebounds as TNT locals Rey Nambatac (19), RR Pogoy (18), Calvin Oftana (11) and Glenn Khobuntin (11) provided sufficient support to make this closeout mission a roaring success.
TNT shot a hot 57.5 percent on the floor (42 of 75) spiked by an astounding 78-percent clip from two-point territory (32 of 41) to get the edge against NLEX. Just like in their 109-91 disposal of the Road Warriors in the previous match, the Tropang Giga held their rivals to under 100 again. (SB)
