MONTALBAN, Rizal - Bol Bol carried TNT on his shoulders with 50 points to overcome Titan Ultra, 97-92, on Saturday in the PBA 50th Season Commissioner’s Cup at the Ynares Center II.
Bol rescued TNT after the Tropang 5G were down eight to improve their win-loss record to 5-2.
READ: Luol Deng sits courtside in Montalban to watch Bol Bol in the PBA
The effort of Bol, who also had 16 rebounds and six blocks, was witnessed by South Sudan basketball federation president and former NBA player Luol Deng who was among those on hand at the venue.
TNT avoided an upset after Titan Ultra got a 66-58 lead, erecting a 12-0 run with Bol scoring 10 to grab an 85-78 lead, the biggest for the Tropang 5G in the game.
The Tropang 5G also survived the early ejection of Calvin Oftana, who was sent off at the 4:53-mark of the first quarter after a hit to the face of Mark Omega following a shot was deemed a flagrant foul penalty 2.
The Tropang 5G were outscored, 21-9, in fastbreak points, but did enough on defense against a Giant Risers team that also rely on their running game for offense.
“We gave ourselves a chance to defend because even if we were missing shots, we weren't turning the ball over. When we forced Titan into a halfcourt set, we had a better chance of defending them,” TNT head coach Chot Reyes said.
Rey Nambatac had 12 points and seven rebounds, while Jayson Castro had seven points, five rebounds, and five assists. Kevin Ferrer had six points including a three to give TNT an 88-81 lead.
Michael Gilmore had 33 points and 15 rebounds, and Joshua Munzon had 21 points and four steals but the Giant Risers still fell to 2-5.
The scores:
TNT 97 – Bol 50, Nambatac 12, Castro 7, Ferrer 6, Ganuelas-Rosser 5, Williams 5, Pogoy 4, Khobuntin 3, Nava 3, Oftana 2, Aurin 0, Nieto 0, Galinato 0.
Titan Ultra 92 – Gilmore 33, Munzon 21, Javillonar 8, Flores 5, Dionisio 5, Balanza 5, Yu 4, Ular 4, Pessumal 3, Sajonia 2, Omega 2, Caralipio 0.
Quarters: 24-26; 48-50; 64-68; 97-92.
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