TNT KaTropa has sealed one of the top two seeds.
Terrence Jones unloaded 21 of his game-high 36 points in the first half and produced a triple-double to help the Tropang Texters cruise to their seventh straight win at the expense of Blackwater, 115-97, as they cemented their place in the top two in the 2019 Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum last night.
Jones also had 16 rebounds and 14 assists for yet another triple-double, his second straight and third overall.
Jayson Castro nearly had a triple-double of his own, scoring 13 points and 10 assists with seven rebounds, while Troy Rosario added 14 markers to help Jones and the Texters.
After improving to 9-1 with a game to go, TNT has secured a finish in the top two and more importantly, a twice-to-beat incentive in the quarterfinals.
The Texters can seal the top seed with either a win in their last game or a NorthPort loss in its final assignment.
The Elite, also already in the quarters, fell to 6-4, still good for third place.
With Jones locked and loaded from the get-go, it didn’t take long for TNT to seize control.
TNT owned the second quarter, taking it by 15 points, 35-20, to enable to open up a commanding 60-43 speread at the turn.
A 30-11 blast midway the second actually gave it a gigantic 21-point, bubble 57-36, with 2:46 left before halftime.
The pounding continued further in the second half with the Tropang Texters once extending lead up to 27 points, 93-66, in the fourth with 11:03 remaining after a Rosario basket.
The Tropang Texters shot 50-percent from the floor in the first half, helping them gain the separation they got.
Bobby Ray Parks Jr. had a team-high 21 points with 10 rebounds and five assists in a losing effort for Blackwater.
The scores:
TNT 115 – Jones 36, Rosario 14, Castro 13, Heruela 12, Pogoy 12, Trollano 11, A. Semerad 8, Magat 4, Casino 3, Taha 2, Reyes 0, Golla 0, D. Semerad 0.
Blackwater 97 – Parks 21, Digregorio 19, Maliksi 16, Blair 16, Belo 10, Sumang 4, Alolino 3, Banal 2, Dario 2, Sena 2, Desiderio 2, Cortez 0, Tratter 0, Al-Hussaini 0, Jose 0.
Quarterscores: 25-23, 60-43, 91-66, 115-97