TNT coach Chot Reyes in the PBA Philippine Cup. –PBA IMAGES
MANILA, Philippines–Even after securing a much-needed win, TNT coach Chot Reyes could not help but notice the rise of teams that normally occupy the lower rungs of the PBA standings.
“What we’re seeing in the league now [with those teams]—not only with Terrafirma, but Blackwater, Phoenix last conference, and NorthPort—[is that] they really stocked up. They made some very good picks in the draft and you’re seeing [the results] now,” Reyes said.
“You’re seeing it now, the way Stephen Holt is playing, [Blackwater’s] Christian David, now NorthPort with (Cade) Flores and Zav Lucero. They’re all showing up now and that’s giving them a lot more competitive.”
READ: All the top PBA draft picks that Terrafirma has let go
The Tropang Giga barely escaped the Terrafirma Dyip in their Philippine Cup encounter on Saturday. And TNT needed every bit of effort from its own draft pick, Henry Galinato, whose 17 points and 11 rebounds helped the team secure a 100-97 victory.
“Our discussion before the game … is that we know these teams are going to make things difficult for us. We have to prepare long and hard for them and that we expect a tough game. And that’s exactly how it was,” Reyes said.
“It’s good that this guy beside me (Galinato) is one we were able to get in the draft [and he] helped out a lot and I think that was the story of the ball game.”
READ: PBA: Hard work paying off for TNT rookie Henry Galinato
TNT won for the second time in three games, tying Terrafirma in the standings.
Jayson Castro and Calvin Oftana were also instrumental in the victory, finishing with 23 and 19 points respectively.
But the shaky start showed Reyes how much ground the team has to cover to catch up with the top squads of the season.
“I don’t think we’re on the level of the big boys yet. We just want to be competitive against other teams,” he said. “Without a fully 100 percent lineup, it’s going to be hard to match up against such a big and talented team like San Miguel. So it’s incumbent upon us to use this week to be very smart about our practice and prepare very well.”
Reyes and the Tropang Giga will test its mettle against the Beermen this Mar. 17 in a road game at Ynares Center in Antipolo City. INQ