UTSUNOMIYA - Survival and redemption are foremost on the minds of the TnT Tropang Giga as they face Korean champs Seoul SK Knights in a make-or-break Group B game in the East Asia Super League Champion Week Friday at the Nikkan Arena here.
The PBA Philippine Cup runners-up found themselves in a precarious standing in Group B's race berths to the medal rounds after absorbing a heavy 66-99 defeat to host squad and Japan kingpin Utsunomiya Brex last Wednesday.
It wasn't a beautiful game for TnT, admitted a disappointed coach Jojo Lastimosa, whose team's lack of ceiling was well taken advantage of by Brex's big imports Josh Scott and Grant Jerrett in the hosts' game-changing 32-8 salvo in the second period.
The 33-point opening-game beatdown means TnT needs to beat the Knights and win big in the final group game at 4 p.m. (Manila time) if it wants to stay alive. But its fate will be dependent on the Brex, Bay Area Dragons and the Knights, who all can finish ahead in the chase for group No. 1 and a finals ticket or No. 2 and battle for third.
Teams only play two each in pool play and in case of ties, quotients (higher game points difference) will come into play.
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But first, the most immediate task against the Knights.
"Judging from what happened, it was different in the way how we played tonight (Wednesday) because the calls in the PBA are so much different here (EASL). So we have to get used to playing a bit more physical - there's a lot more contacts allowed here," said Lastimosa.
"The only concern coming into the next game is how well we adjust to the calls and how the game is played. So if we adjust in the beginning and we can be aggressive defensively, then we should be okay," he added.
The Tropang Giga likewise need to smoothen their offensive flow after Jalen Hudson carried the load with 28 against Utsunomiya while second import Daniel Ochefu only accounted for nine and locals like Calvin Oftana, RR Pogoy, Mikey Williams and Jayson Castro had unproductive games. (OL)
