By REYNALD MAGALLON
RR Pogoy sustained his hot hands and TNT turned back Rain or Shine, 98-91 in Game 1 of their best-of-seven semifinals series in the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup at the Mall of Asia Arena, Wednesday, June 25.
Like their elimination meeting where he exploded for 35, Pogoy took care of the offense for his team with 28 points although he got plenty of help especially on the defensive end where the Tropang 5G proved to be a tough nut to crack for the Elasto Painters.
It also did not help that ROS was shooting ice cold from deep, only making eight of its 35 attempts. That allowed TNT to clog the paint with their size advantage and further solidify their defense that triggered the run that created the separation.
Pogoy, who was awarded his 5000 points milestone, lived up to the billing as one of the league’s premier scorers, firing 13 of his total in the final frame, particularly during the 11-2 run that allowed TNT to create an 86-76 spread after a once tight 75-74 affair.
Poy Erram actually conspired with Pogoy during that run, scoring on a layup and huge triple to finish with a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds.
Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser had 13 points and 10 rebounds while Simon Enciso and Calvin Oftana, whose free throws late allowed TNT to overcome a late ROS rally, finished with 12 apiece.
Meanwhile, Japeth Aguilar provided the spark and the game-saving block as Barangay Giinebra overcame an 18-point deficit to take down San Miguel, 73-71, to take Game 1 of their own semis series.
After the Beermen exploded for 29 in the opening frame, the Kings tightened up their defensive screws and prevented SMB from scoring more than 16 points in each of the next three quarters to complete yet another thrilling comeback win.
Aguilar, after being saddled with foul trouble early on, came alive in the second half pouring 12 of his 18 points as Ginebra pounced on an SMB side that was struggling offensively with June Mar Fajardo hobbling with a calf injury.
The 6-foot-9 veteran even had a huge defensive stop, foiling a Fajardo undergoal stab attempt with four seconds left and with the Kings trying to protect a precarious 71-70 lead.
Aguilar added nine rebounds to his name while Scottie Thompson, who kept Ginebra in the contest after it trailed, 43-25, in the first half, put up 18 points, eight rebounds. Jamie Malonzo added 14 while Troy Rosario scattered seven points, nine rebounds and five assists.
Save for a first quarter hiccup, it was a defensive masterclass for the Kings as the Beermen were limited to just 36 points in the last two quarters – including a measly 11 points in the final frame.
Though SMB still led for the majority of the contest, Ginebra took advantage of the times Fajardo was not on the floor and slowly but surely rallied back into the contest.
It also didn’t help that SMB couldn’t keep the eight-time MVP on the floor for extended minutes as he was seen limping, even grimacing in pain at times, due to the calf injury.
