TNT Tropang Giga is out of the knockout stage of the PBA 3x3 for the first time. And Barangay Ginebra made sure about that.
Behind the outside bombs of Mikey Cabahug and Dennis Villamor, the Kings upended the maiden leg champion, 21-17, in their sudden-death match on Sunday for the eighth and last quarterfinal berth.
The Kings raced to a 6-1 lead and stretched it to 16-8 on the way to booking a playoff pairing against Pool A top seed and undefeated Terrafirma Dyip (4-0).
Cabahug catches fire
Cabahug led the Kings with 11 points including the game-clinching two pointer from the left flank.
The Tropang Giga and Kings were the third best teams in their respective groups, giving them one final shot at clinching a berth in the knockout round through a sudden-death match.
TNT played minus injured Jeremiah Gray, and while big man Lervin Flores was back following a two-game suspension, the first leg winner just couldn’t get past Purefoods TJ Titans and lost, 21-19, in its final game in pool play.
The Tropang Giga finished with a 1-2 record in Pool C, the same mark by the Kings in Pool B for third place.
Sista Super Sealers, who swept Pool B with a 3-0 record, will face Pool C no. 2 Limitless Appmasters (2-1) in the playoffs.
Purefoods also completed a three-game sweep of Pool C and gets to meet Leg 2 winner Meralco (2-1).
Pool B no.2 Platinum Karaoke (2-1) and fellow guest team Pioneer Pro Tibay (2-2), the third seeded team in Pool A, complete the other knockout pairings.
The scores
Barangay Ginebra (21) - Cabahug 11, Villamor 7, Go 3, Cunanan 0.
TNT (17) - Vosotros 8, De Leon 5, Flores 4.