Off the bench and into the spotlight, Rey Nambatacdelivered in the clutch as the TNT Tropang 5G escaped with a 100-98 overtime victory over the Meralco Bolts on Wednesday night at the Ynares Sports Center.
Nambatac scored only 10 points, but they were the ones that mattered most — including the game-winning jumper in the final second of overtime that sealed TNT’s third straight win in the ongoing 50th PBA Philippine Cup.
“The energy of the bench was big for us,” said TNT head coach Chot Reyes, praising his team’s resilience after climbing back from a 23-point first-half deficit.
The Tropang 5G improved to 4-1, catching up with the NLEX Road Warriors in the standings.
Meralco, which led most of the way, forced overtime after Chris Newsome buried a clutch three-pointer with 17 seconds left in regulation to tie the game at 90-all. Newsome had a chance to win it at the buzzer but missed a deep attempt that could have ended the match in regulation.
In the extra period, TNT leaned on its depth and composure, with Nambatac’s heroics ultimately completing the comeback.
