Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Coach Bong Ravena lauded his charges for another spectacular scoring performance but saved the best praise for import Terrence Jones, who keyed TNT’s 104-91 victory over Meralco in a PBA Commissioner’s Cup Petron Saturday Special at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“Tremendous Terrence,” Ravena said of his import, who dumped 49 points on the Bolts while grabbing 18 rebounds.
“But at the same time, the locals stepped up, too,” he added as TNT climbed to the top spot of the midseason conference with a 6-1 record.
Ryan Reyes, who came off the bench, had 19 points and made his first six three-point attempts just days after teammate Roger Pogoy’s brilliant sniping put him in the record books with 10 triples made.
The KaTropa seem to have found their rhythm, and Ravena may have issued an inadvertent warning to the rest of the field.
“We’re not going to take it easy in the coming games,” he said.
Jones certainly hasn’t showed signs of slowing down and at one point scored 18 straight points to ignite a pull-away in the fourth that laid waste to Chris Newsome’s career-best scoring and the debut of new import Jimmie Taylor.
The Bolts, who got 32 points from Newsome and 13 points plus 18 rebounds from Taylor, dropped to 3-4.
The KaTropa missed the services of Jayson Castro, who got married Saturday, but had the likes of Don Trollano and Troy Rosario filling in the scoring void.
In the second game, Phoenix Pulse slipped past a streaking Alaska, 78-76, to arrest a three-game skid and give coach Louie Alas a triumphant return from suspension.
The win was the Fuel Masters’ second in five games.
“I felt like a rookie [coach] earlier,” said Alas, who served a two-game suspension following an eventful match against TNT earlier this month. “I was jittery all throughout the game.”
Meanwhile, the PBA celebrates Father’s Day by holding its annual blood donation drive on Sunday at the Big Dome.
Commissioner Willie Marcial will be spearheading the project, now on its fourth year, in partnership with the Philippine Red Cross and Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The blood drive starts at 12 noon at the Big Dome green gate.
“What better way to celebrate Father’s Day than to donate blood for a cause,” said Marcial, who added that Gillette will put up a shaving station at the green gate.
Assorted freebies will also be given to 200 fathers.