RONDAE Hollis-Jefferson engineered a late run that helped TNT repulse Magnolia Chicken Timplados, 88-82, on Thursday in the PBA 49th Season Governors’ Cup at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
Hollis-Jefferson joined forces with Jayson Castro and Poy Erram in a 10-0 run that pushed the Tropang Giga back in front, 88-80, after finding themselves trailing by two points going to the game's final four minutes.
The trio's late heroics enabled TNT to take the solo lead in Group A on a 3-1 (win-loss) record and bounce back from a stunning loss to Converge last Tuesday that was clinched by Scotty Hopson's game-winning four-pointer.
Hollis-Jefferson knocked down a three to recapture the lead, 81-80, and closed the winning run with a slam off a steal against Glenn Robinson III with 31.4 seconds remaining.
In between, Castro and Erram also provided the offense after sustaining injuries during the game.
Castro, after a bloodied nose, scored a lay-up, while Erram, coming back to the game after slipping on a wet spot while inbounding the ball early in the fourth, sank a three-pointer to up the gap to six points.
Hollis-Jefferson contributed 32 points, 19 rebounds, and seven assists, while Rey Nambatac had 15 points on 3-of-6 shooting from threes for TNT. The two combined for six threes after Roger Pogoy hit 2-of-7, and Calvin Oftana just made 1-of-5 from three.
TNT coach Chot Reyes lauded his team’s defense on a relatively off-night from the outside.
“In my mind, watching the game, I thought we couldn’t make shots from the outside. But I think I was just focused on Calvin and Roger, who were not hitting their three-pointers. Thankfully, the others stepped up and hit their threes,” said Reyes.
“That’s really the way Magnolia defends. They do an excellent job protecting the paint. They are one of the best clogged defenders in the league. In the vernacular, duduguin ka talaga before you can get that inside basket from Magnolia. All of our discussion was really to make sure that we are in our spots open enough to make those outside shots,” said Reyes.
“But I think the reason we won was not our three-point shooting. It was really our defense. We scored below 90, that’s not a really good offensive night but I thought that because we limited them to only 82 points, that allowed our 88 to be enough,” said Reyes.
Robinson had 19 points and 15 rebounds, while Zav Lucero added 14 points but the Hotshots slipped to 1-2 to open the conference.
Magnolia trailed by as many as 12 points, 63-51, but got back to the game, and even took the lead, 78-76, on a Calvin Abueva basket with 5:18 remaining.
The scores:
TNT 88 – Hollis-Jefferson 32, Nambatac 15, Pogoy 12, Heruela 10, Erram 6, Castro 4, Oftana 3, Khobuntin 3, Aurin 3, Varilla 0, Exciminiano 0, Ebona 0.
Magnolia 82 – Robinson III 19, Lucero 14, Lee 13, Barroca 12, Sangalang 11, Abueva 7, Dela Rosa 6, Ahanmisi 0, Dionisio 0, Alfaro 0, Escoto 0, Laput 0.
Quarters: 29-22; 50-49; 72-66; 88-82.
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