CHICAGO - Bol Bol was gone, stolen from TNT by a brutal Achilles injury.
Constrained by paperwork requirements, TNT’s temporary replacement reinforcement, Malik Diouf, was unable to suit up.
And then Meralco, drooling at the vulnerability of an import-less foe, raced to a 43-34 halftime surge.
READ Weeks before Bol, TNT deputy Ranidel also suffered Achilles tear
It was a warm, humid Sunday night at the Mall of Asia Arena, and the sky was falling for Tropang 5G.
But coach Chot Reyes, as stubborn as he is brilliant, refused to let go of the idea that Game Three can be won despite multiple handicaps.
And so when things got really dicey, his guys down 67-60 with just 6:50 left to play, Reyes deployed multiple zone defense variations that stymied Meralco’s attack.
IT’S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE.
Reyes’ plot reminded us that coaching is not overthinking and running complex schemes. Often, the gems that lead to victory can be found in the beauty of doing simple things.
Whether it was a 2-1-2 or a 1-3-1 set-up, the Bolts had no answers. Which was perplexing given that active consultant Nenad Vucinic is paid handsomely enough to figure things out.
Reyes was also sublime on offense, exploiting Meralco’s weak spots such as CJ Cansino’s defense and Jason Brickman’s size.
Brandon Ganuaelas-Rosser was initially a source of frustration, fouling and flopping.
But Chot stayed with him and BGR came through late with a personal 5-0 run to cap an 8-point, 8-rebound effort.
Roger Pogoy had a quiet night, 3-of-12 from the field and 1-for-4 from 3, but Reyes still trusted him to take that game-wining 3 .
TNT 77. MERALCO 75.
For the second time this conference, Meralco lost to a team that played without an import.
That’s not bad luck. It’s an indictment against the coaching staff.
I mean, their import, Marvin Jones, was the biggest, tallest snd meanest dude on the court on Sunday and he only got 22 points.on 17 shots.
Why?
Instead if being down 1-2, TNT is up 2-1. And with the cavalry - new import Chris McCollough - coming, what chance do the Bolts have to win three of the next four games?
Not much.
Not when Chot Reyes, an 11-time PBA champion and seven-time Coach of the Year, is out there conducting a clinic.
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