PBA: No import, no problem as TNT clobbers Blackwater

The TNT KaTropa played without an import but they didn’t need one anyway, at least on Friday.

A day after sending Jeremy Tyler home, TNT crushed Blackwater, 120-101, to gain a share of first place in the 2018 PBA Commissioner’s Cup at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The all-Filipino KaTropa were already without their injured big man Kelly Williams, but they made good use of what they have.

Veteran guard Ryan Reyes led TNT’s potent shooting from the outside, hitting six out of his nine 3-pointers to finish with a team-high 18 points.

“Everybody was ready to contribute, everybody helped us today,” said TNT coach Nash Racela, whose squad bounced back from a 110-100 loss to Alaska on Sunday and rose to 4-1 to tie the Aces at the helm.

The KaTropa took control of the game in the third quarter, where they outscored the Elite, 25-12, before leading by as much as 20, 102-82, after a basket by Troy Rosario.

TNT seven players in double-digit scoring with Rosario adding 17 points, Roger Pogoy registering 15 while Jayson Castro and Anthony Semerad having 14 points each. Terrence Romeo and Jericho Cruz chipped in 12 and 11 points, respectively.

The Elite had an import in Jarrid Famous. The only problem was Famous didn’t play like one with only 11 points and 12 rebounds against a TNT team that lacks depth and size upfront.

Famous was also a minus-19 as Blackwater, which was led by JP Erram’s near double-double effort of 16 points and nine rebounds, dropped to 0-6.