BY REYNALD MAGALLON
Rey Nambatac drained the game-winning triple at the buzzer as the injury-plagued but gritty TNT edged Converge in a nail-biting 110-107 victory in the PBA Season 50 Governors’ Cup at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium on Tuesday, July 28.
With 9.1 seconds left and the game tied at 107-all, Nambatac dribbled the length of the floor before driving hard to the right and then rising for the clutch triple to help the Tropang 5G buck a flat start and end a two-game losing skid.
Nambatac took over and fired 30 points to pick up the scoring after injuries to Jordan Heading and RR Pogoy added to the manpower woes of TNT which already played without Calvin Oftana, Jayson Castro, Kelly Williams and Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser.
Heading finished with 20 points but exited in the third frame due to a shoulder injury while RR Pogoy tweaked his ankle just a few minutes after. The two never returned to the game.
TNT improved to a 2-2 record in the Group A standings.
Phoenix staved off the hard-fighting Blackwater, 102-93, to get back on the winning track.
The Fuel Masters banked on an 11-3 spurt in the final frame to create the much-needed separation, enough to cushion a late fightback from the Bossing to close out the first round of the eliminations on the winning note.
Jason Perkins led the charge with 25 points and six rebounds while import BJ Johnson added 23 points and 12 rebounds.
Gian Mamuyac also had his best game in Fuel Masters uniform with 18 while Ricci Rivero did a little bit of everything with 10 points, nine assists and eight rebounds.
Phoenix closed out the eliminations on top of Group B with a 4-1 record.
