CHOT Reyes gave TNT a piece of his mind following a shock loss to also-ran Converge that had a huge impact on the team’s playoffs bid in the PBA Philippine Cup.
Guard Roger Pogoy wouldn’t elaborate on what exactly was the atmosphere inside the Tropang Giga dugout at the Philsports Arena moments after they were sent crashing by the FiberXers, 107-103.
'Galit si coach'
“Nagalit si coach Chot, yun lang ang masasabi ko, Basta galit si coach,” said Pogoy.
Who wouldn’t be especially for a team that is contending for a quarterfinals berth only to blow away the chance against an opponent who’s playing with nothing to gain from a win except salvaging a measure of pride.
A victory by TNT would have moved it outright to the next round, joining early qualifiers San Miguel and Barangay Ginebra.
But now, the Tropang Giga have to slug it out with six other teams in the tight race for the remaining six quarterfinal berths.
NLEX and Magnolia shared third place on similar 5-4 standings, while bunched below them are TNT, Rain or Shine, Meralco, and Terrafirma at 5-5, followed by Northport at 5-6.
The Tropang Giga play the Hotshots in the final day of the eliminations on Sunday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in a game Pogoy said is a ‘must-win’ for them.
Pogoy also couldn’t provide an answer on what ails TNT of late, where the team would usually be left behind early on before trying to scramble back in the endgame in the hopes of turning the game around.
Pogoy rues slow starts
“(Halos) lahat ng talo namin puro ganun. Hindi rin namin alam kung bakit,” said the Cebuano gunner.
That happened in the games against San Miguel, Barangay Ginebra, Phoenix, and Converge.
Except for the Fuel Masters where the Tropang Giga managed to climb their way back from a 23-point deficit to win, 108-101, TNT lost the rest.
“Tatambakan kami ng 15-20 points. Nakakahabol naman kami, pero ang hirap talaga kapag natambakan ka na ng ganun. Sobrang pangit talaga,” said Pogoy.
“Hindi ko rin alam. Wala rin akong masabi,” an obviously exasperated Pogoy added.
He’s hoping and keeping his fingers crossed the same thing won’t happen in the game against Magnolia.
“Kailangan yung panalo na yun,” added the 31-year-old pride of Cebu.
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