The TNT Tropang Giga team feels a hunger for a title that needs to be fed.
Coach Chot Reyes said this as the Tropang Giga start their best-of-seven championship series with the Magnolia Hotshots in the 2021 Philippine Basketball Association Philippines on Wednesday.
Not having tasted a crown in eight years has heightened that craving for greatness.
“For the team, talagang gutom na gutom sila. They’re very hungry. It’s been eight years since the last championship,” said Reyes in a Zoom webcon with PBA scribes a day before Game 1 begins at 6 p.m. at the DHVSU Gym in Bacolor, Pampanga.
Members of the Tropang Giga, according to Reyes, are desiring for their sixth Philippine Cup crown since they last got it following a 4-0 sweep of their best-of-seven final series over Rain or Shine back in 2013.
And after much hardship, Reyes said that the Tropang Giga are back in the finals again after losing to Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Gin Kings in 2020.
They did so after complete and healthy TNT team unleashed its full might on the San Miguel Beermen on Sunday to hammer out a 97-79.
TNT’s quest will revolve around the big games of Mikey Williams, RR Pogoy and Troy Rosario, who consistently turned in big numbers for the team during the playoffs.
In a way, the Hotshots are also hungry to win in the All-Filipino.
After making it to the Philippine Cup finals for the third time in four years, Magnolia Hotshots’ coach Chito Victolero hopes that the crown will be theirs this time around.
Magnolia is seeking its 15th PBA title in franchise history and seventh All-Filipino crown. The team, however, has been empty-handed in the Philippine Cup for the past four years, even though they have made the finals three times.
Victolero expressed his hopes for a first-ever title in the Philippine Basketball Association since handling the team in the 2017 to 2018 season.
“We are praying for this. That’s our goal,” said Victolero.
The Hotshots will be going for a championship with prized trade recruit Calvin Abueva expected to provide trouble for the Tropang Giga inside the paint.
The last time the Tropang Giga fought Magnolia, the latter was still known San Mig Coffee in the 2010-211 season.
