By REYNALD MAGALLON
TNT and Barangay look to push their semifinals foe on the bring when they gun for commanding 3-1 leads in the PBA Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Wednesday, May 27.
The Kings, who seem to have already solved the puzzle that are the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, try to move on the hill first in the opening game at 5:15 p.m. while the Tropang 5G aim to do the same against the Meralco Bolts as new reinforcements arrive for the 7:30 p.m. duel.
Riding the crest of their all-Filipino win over Meralco in Game 2, TNT will even parade a new import in Chris McCullough, who will be returning to the league for the first time since leading San Miguel to a Commissioner’s Cup crown.
Interestingly, McCullough won a title against the Tropang 5G and their import Terrence Jones during that time and now he will try to do the same for TNT.
But more than the arrival of the new import, the 77-75 Game 3 win just proved the character and championship poise of the locals of TNT.
“Credit to our players for just sticking with each other. More than anything, sticking with each other and continuing to fight even when we were down,” said coach Chot Reyes.
But Meralco is refusing to get outdone — not now that it’s virtually fighting for its dear lives in the pivotal Game 4.
After a pair of lackluster performances and failing to take advantage of the advantage of TNT’s former import Bol Bol in Games 2 and 3, Marvin Jones was given a pink slip and will be replaced by Patrick Gardner.
The 7-foot American-Egyptian, who recently played in Japan B.League is hoped to be the boost the Bolts desperately need.
Meanwhile in the series opener, the Kings, who have been giving the Elasto Painters a dose of their own medicine, look to follow up their morale-boosting 103-98 win.
Through the last two games, Ginebra banked on their outside shooting and transition attack to outgun and outrun Rain or Shine. While the Elasto Painters had repeatedly come back after trailing big, the Kings seemed to be poised enough to fend off any late rally.
