By REYNALD MAGALLON
TNT refused to be discouraged by the Philippine Cup setback with head coach Chot Reyes noting it was still a tremendous achievement winning two of the three available championships in the PBA this season.
For the veteran mentor, there was nothing to be ashamed of about the Tropang 5G not completing their Grand Slam bid.
“Proud of this team. I think our chairman MVP put it best. He said our heads are bowed in sorrow but not in shame. We got the best out of what we had,’ said Reyes after TNT conceded a 107-96 defeat in Game 6, allowing San Miguel to claim the Philippine Cup crown.
TNT did all it could with every adversity thrown at them not just in the series but all conference long. The courage, the resilience and grit were all something to be proud of according to Reyes.
It wasn’t just meant to be with injuries to key players simply too much for TNT to overcome especially against a stacked San Miguel team in the Philippine Cup where it usually dominates.
RR Pogoy played through a hamstring tear. Jordan Heading hasn’t recovered from the nagging back injury. And Calvin Oftana and Kelly Williams were banged up with ankle injuries.
The Tropang 5G missed Rey Nambatac and Jayson Castro and eventually Poy Erram due to injuries.
“We’re so proud of their fight, of their effort. We just keep playing, and in the end, you just have to tip your cap to the other team. They made some really tough shots. We try to defend them as much as we can,” said the veteran mentor.
“The problem when you don’t have a complete lineup, you don’t have the endurance and the depth to finish games. I think that was the story of the whole series, right? We lost every fourth quarter, except last game. That’s a combination of San Miguel’s depth and our lack of,” he pointed out.
And there wasn’t a single doubt in Reyes’ eyes when he said he was still happy and satisfied with how the season went through for TNT.
Winning two championships in a row while the other teams couldn’t even get to the Finals says a lot to the success of the Tropang 5G – a run that was further highlighted by the all-time 75 games record for a team in one season.
“I told the players, hindi biro yung ginawa natin. Hindi biro ‘yung ginawa natin na tatlong finals tayo. Absolutely nothing to be (ashamed of), there’s absolutely no bitterness in my heart. Like we said, time for the players to rest. 75 games. 75 games is no joke,” he stressed.
