Patience proved to be a virtue for the TNT Tropang 5G, as their composure in the endgame allowed them to take Game 1 of a controversial 49th Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup Finals on Sunday at the Araneta Coliseum.
Coach Chot Reyes emphasized this after TNT survived a furious 19-0 run by San Miguel, regained the lead three times in the final minute, and escaped with a 99-96 victory over the Beermen.
“We had no illusions that San Miguel would just roll over. We knew they were going to come back. When they made their run, I just told the players to relax and stay calm,” said Reyes.
Roger Pogoy, returning from injury, led TNT with a team-high 23 points, including eight in the first quarter that helped establish a 33-19 lead.
Jordan Heading added 19 points, including nine in the second period. His four-point play with 1:25 left before halftime extended TNT’s advantage to 53-38.
“We had good looks in those moments—with Calvin [Oftana] getting wide-open threes, and Roger knocking down shots from the outside,” added Reyes.
Calvin Oftana finished with 13 points, while Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser contributed key plays, including two crucial free throws with 3.6 seconds remaining to seal the win.
Junemar Fajardo led the Beermen with 26 points and 15 rebounds. He gave San Miguel its first lead with a putback at the 2:10 mark, 93-92.
Chris Ross then nailed a triple with 1:45 left to make it 96-94 for San Miguel, but Kelly Williams quickly answered to put TNT back ahead, 97-96, with 1:04 to play.
Mo Tautuaa had a chance to reclaim the lead for the Beermen with 56.1 seconds left, but a late review with five seconds to go nullified his driving layup due to a goaltending violation discovered upon review.
That crucial decision returned the lead to TNT and paved the way for Oftana’s game-sealing free throws.
The reversal of Tautuaa’s shot did not sit well with San Miguel coach Leo Austria, who voiced his frustration after the game.
Beermen team officials were seen discussing the incident with PBA assistant commissioner Eric Castro and technical officials, and are considering whether to file a formal protest.
