TNT drops away game to Taiwan’s Fubon, stays winless in EASL

TNT Tropang Giga import Rondae Hollis Jefferson warms up before an EASL game.

MANILA, Philippines–The woes of the TNT Tropang Giga in the East Asia Super League (EASL) continued Wednesday after being handed a 106-97 away defeat by Taiwanese side Fubon Braves at Heping Gymnasium in Taipei.

Despite the return of Rondae Hollis-Jefferson to join forces with fellow import Quincy Miller, the Tropang Giga absorbed a third successive loss in as many games in Group A to see their chances of making the Final Foul dwindle.

Imports Mike Singletary and Chris Anthony Johnson and Filipino-American Cedrick Barefield led the way for the host Braves, who pulled away in the fourth after it was almost tight in the first three quarters.

Johnson had 29 points, Singletary scored 26 while Barefield had 21 points, five rebounds and seven assists for Fubon, the champion of the previous P.League+ season.

Miller and Hollis-Jefferson accounted for more than half of TNT’s scoring output, but that didn’t result in a victory after the Tropang Giga lost in the two home-and-away meetings with the B.League Chiba Jets.

Miller had 34 points and 10 rebounds while Hollis-Jefferson finished with 33 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and three steals for TNT.

Calvin Oftana scored 14 points for the Tropang Giga with eight rebounds, three assists and two blocks for the Tropang Giga.

TNT’s next EASL match is on Dec. 6 against Rhenz Abando, ex-PBA import DuVaughn Maxwell and EASL Champions Week winner Anyang Jung Kwan Jang of South Korea’s K.League.