Poy Erram (right) battles to keep possession for the Tropang Giga. —AUGUST DELA CRUZ
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson on Sunday sat out TNT’s final group stage assignment—a nonbearing one—but coach Chot Reyes believes there’s no reason to worry too much about his fitness.
“Hopefully, he should be okay for the playoffs,” Reyes said after the Tropang Giga’s 99-79 win over the NorthPort Batang Pier in their PBA Governors’ Cup game that turned out to be a pseudo-all-Filipino contest with the losing team also playing minus an import.
Despite the absence of Hollis-Jefferson, who was given a day off to rest a sore ankle, TNT got win No. 8 in 10 games of group play to enter the crossover quarterfinals against either NLEX or Blackwater on a high note.
TNT, however, sees itself playing with banged bodies, not only with Hollis-Jefferson having injury concerns, but also Calvin Oftana, who got a busted lip courtesy of an accidental hit from good friend Arvin Tolentino of NorthPort.
“I think that’s how the playoffs is,” said Reyes. “There will be aches and pains that you have to deal with. But we want to make sure that we are as close to 100 percent as possible.”
The Tropang Giga’s opponent for the best-of-five series may be known by Sunday’s end, that is if the Road Warriors defeat Barangay Ginebra in the nightcap.
NLEX will clinch the remaining quarters spot as the No. 4 team in Group B with a win, or with a Blackwater loss to group leader Rain or Shine on Monday at Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
The two teams entering on Sunday are tied with 4-5 win-loss slates, but NLEX holds the tiebreaker despite splitting its two meetings against Blackwater.
“Both teams will give us a lot of problems,” said Reyes. “NLEX has Berto (Robert Bolick), Blackwater has [Sedrick] Barefield. Both imports are very good (NLEX’s DeQuan Jones and Blackwater’s George King) so we just have to be as prepared as possible and have a game plan that is going to make us as ready as possible for whoever it is.
“I’ve been around this game for a long time for me not to have any preference and not to choose anyone, just to make sure that my team, our team is ready,” he added.
NLEX was playing Ginebra, which needs a win to assure itself of at least the No. 2 position in Group B and a playoff matchup with the third placer in Group A, to be contested on Monday by Magnolia and Converge.
Magnolia will parade its third import this conference in Rayvonte Rice, who will replace the injured Shabazz Muhammad.
The loser of that match is relegated to No. 4 in Group A and a quarters date with the No. 1 team in Group B.
At press time, Ginebra and Rain or Shine have clear chances of ending with the best spot in that group. Rain or Shine, with a 7-2 mark, can clinch No. 1 with a win over Blackwater. INQ