For a change, TNT faced a different opponent in a leg final of the PBA 3×3.
The result remains the same, though.
The Triple Giga made short work of Terrafirma, 21-11, and made it back-to-back in the Second Conference Season 3 Tuesday at the Ayala Mall Circuit in Makati.
Gryann Mendoza paced the team in the Leg 2 final with eight points after coming in as late substitute to the injured Matt Salem.
Mendoza and the comebacking Almond Vosotros spearheaded TNT’s hot start, racing to an 11-6 lead to take control of the 10-minute match.
A Chester Saldua deuce put TNT on the hill, 20-11, before Ping Exciminiano finished off the job with a layup with still plenty of time to spare.
The dominant win was worth another P100,000 for the Triple Giga, who just won the opening leg last week.
“Kapag nag-start na ang conference, naka-focus na ako agad sa game namin, hindi ko inaalis yun whatever, kung reserve man ako (o hindi),” said Mendoza, hero of the team’s 18-16 victory over Cavitex in the Leg 1 finale, who was a last-minute call to replace Salem.
Exciminiano finished with five and Vosotros, re-activated for this leg, and Saldua had four each as TNT completed a five-game sweep on the way to the championship.
The runner-up purse of P50,000 was the best finish Terrafirma had since a similar runner-up finish in Leg 4 of Season 1 Third Conference.
The Dyip appeared ready to complete a day of the underdogs that saw Blackwater and Pioneer Elastoseal Katibays reaching the semifinals.
