TNT made use of a third-quarter surge on Friday night in picking apart Rain or Shine for a 108-91 victory and a 2-0 lead in their PBA Governors’ Cup semifinal showdown.
Calvin Oftana and Rey Nambatac combined for 24 points in that fiery third period, greasing the way for the rout that put the defending conference champions halfway through sweeping the young but promising ElastoPainters.
“Being up 2-0? It’s nice. But it takes four to get to the next stage,” TNT coach Chot Reyes said shortly after the blowout fashioned at Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
“Our entire discussion right now is to just continue to try to figure out what adjustments [Rain or Shine] would make for the next game and, as I’ve said, keep putting our foot on the pedal,” he added.
Import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson fired 23 points and eight rebounds to show the way for TNT. Oftana finished with 18 spiked with a career best-tying 14 rebounds, while Nambatac had 17 and six in an effort that should especially hurt his former coach, Yeng Guiao.
Jhonard Clarito had 18 points and seven rebounds, while do-it-all import Aaron Fuller was limited to just 13 and six as the E-Painters struggled most of the night, even finding themselves in holes as deep as 26 points.
The E-Painters have never lost back-to-back games in this conference until Friday night. Rain or Shine is now hard-pressed to win Game 3 on Sunday in Dasmariñas, Cavite, and show signs of life.
“Right now, we’re not thinking about that. All our thoughts are on Game 3,” Reyes said of a possible sweep. “I think what’s more important for Game 3 is our mental and emotional preparation.”
A light penalty
Meanwhile, the league slapped embattled NorthPort guard John Amores on the wrist with a ban for the coming Commissioner’s Cup following his involvement in a shooting incident in Laguna.
Amores will be suspended without pay for “conduct detrimental to the league,” according to the league’s legal counsel, Atty. Ogie Narvasa.
Despite facing attempted homicide charges for shooting a certain Lee Cacalda shortly after a heated pickup game in Lumban town last Sept. 25, Amores can even continue earning from his PBA team with only his game salaries taken away.
Narvasa qualified that Amores can still be allowed to attend team practices and other activities.
The league’s decision on Amores comes as superlight compared to the sanctions meted out against perennial league hothead Calvin Abueva back in 2019.
The PBA threw the total weight of its rule book at Abueva for several controversies on and off the court, domestic abuse allegations and a wicked clothesline on TNT import Terrence Jones. The eccentric forward was banned for a total of 16 months.