TNT big man Poy Erram tries to stop Ginebra’s Jeremiah Gray in Game 1 of the PBA Governors’ Cup Finals. PBA IMAGES
MANILA, Philippines—Playing an enemy deep in talent and size, TNT needs all the help it could get. This is why interim coach Jojo Lastimosa is urging defensive whiz Poy Erram to straighten up.
“Poy’s got to do a better job of controlling his emotions. We talked about it as a staff and I already talked about it and I was actually pissed at him,” interim coach Jojo Lastimosa revealed to reporters on the heels of a 102-90 Game 1 loss to Barangay Ginebra in the PBA Governors’ Cup Finals on Sunday night.
“His teammates were actually getting on him because he’s beginning to be a distraction when he complains too much,” he went on.
Erram actually had to leave the game early after maxing out his fouls with still 9:51 left in the fourth quarter. He incurred two fouls against the Gin Kings’ Christian Standhardinger in a span of two seconds.
That rendered TNT even more vulnerable on defense and one weapon short at a time when it was already dealing with frosty outings from Roger Pogoy and Jayson Castro.
With Kelly Williams out indefinitely and Justin Chua hurting his knee that same night, Erram’s presence is even more needed as the championship series plods along.
“We need Poy,” said Lastimosa. “We need him and we need his head to be in the game.”
“Now that Justin is out and Kelly is out, who do we have?”
It could be recalled that Erram was ejected in the first half of Game 7 against San Miguel Beer in the Philippine Cup Finals. The Beermen eventually won that series.
Erram was also ejected in a critical game for his former team NLEX in the 2019 Governors’ Cup and was suspended in the subsequent rubber match against NorthPort which doomed the Road Warriors campaign.
Erram politely declined reporters’ requests for an interview.