Mikey Williams shows true worth and leads TNT to semis

TNT’s Mikey Williams leads the Tropang Giga to the PBA Philippine Cup semifinals. –PBA IMAGES

Mikey Williams heaved a sigh of relief after a long contract dispute between him and TNT was finally resolved.

Then he showed just exactly what the Tropang Giga purchased with a hefty price tag, putting on a fiery second-quarter shooting display that propelled the defending champion Tropang Giga to the semifinals of the PBA Philippine Cup.

“I’m glad that weight has been lifted off my shoulders,” Williams said after TNT dismantled Converge, 116-95, in their quarterfinal matchup on Wednesday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Putting up 22 points in the second period which saw him drain all four three-point attempts, Williams allowed TNT to take full control in the game that showed the gulf between the No. 2 and No. 7 seeds—a game Converge needed to win because of the Tropang Giga’s twice-to-beat protection.

It turned out to be a night of quarterfinal routs as San Miguel Beer put an end to Blackwater’s dream playoff run with a 123-93 win later in the evening.

The Beermen showed their status as the No. 1 team entering the quarterfinals, leading by as much as 39 points on the way to a semifinal berth.

TNT’s win came a day after Williams inked a three-year extension following months of negotiations with TNT management that in the early part turned testy.

Williams sat out the first half of the elimination round after invoking a clause in a pact signed after the 2021 Rookie Draft that allowed him to renegotiate when he led the Tropang Giga to last season’s Philippine Cup crown.

The situation was at an impasse when Season 47 began, with TNT holding out payment of Williams’ salary while missing the first five games of the eliminations. He finally arrived late last month, in time to help the Tropang Giga secure a twice-to-beat advantage in the quarters.

“It was a protracted negotiation, but Mikey has been very professional,” said TNT coach Chot Reyes. “And you could see the way he played in this game. Even when the contract wasn’t signed yet, he kept on playing, and that spoke volumes about his professionalism.”

Focus on title defense

“Both parties came to the negotiating table with an intent to strike a deal and in the end, it was struck. So we’re very happy,” he added.

With a deal in place, Williams and the Tropang Giga can now put their focus solely on the next chapter in their quest to repeat as champions of the season’s most important tournament.

TNT will face either Magnolia or NLEX in a best-of-seven semifinal series that could start next week. Magnolia has one foot on the door after taking Game 1 of the best-of-three affair last Sunday.

Magnolia is aiming for a sweep of that series on Friday at Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City.

“I think as a whole, we can move forward and continue to play basketball,” said Williams.

Troy Rosario put up 18 points and seven rebounds, RR Pogoy scored 16 while Jayson Castro came off the bench to score 15 for the Tropang Giga.

TNT never trailed throughout the match, leading 30-20 at the end of the opening quarter before Williams put on a shooting display.

Accounting for more than half of the 40 points made by the Tropang Giga in the second, Williams capped off the period with a triple in the final seconds that made it a 70-42 lead at the break.

It was an anticlimactic end to Converge’s maiden conference in the big league, with rookie Tyrus Hill posting 18 points to lead all FiberXers in scoring.