ANTIPOLO – TNT became only the second eighth-seeded team to reach the PBA Finals in the last 14 years after wrapping up its Commissioner’s Cup semifinals series on Sunday night.
The reigning, defending champions had to it the hard way by eliminating sister teams NLEX and Meralco one after the other during the course of the playoffs to make its way back to the championship round.
READ It's TNT vs Ginebra in PBA Finals as Heading cools off Meralco
The Tropang 5G overcame twice-to-win disadvantage in the quarterfinals to upend the top-seeded Road Warriors, and then turned back the fourth-seeded Bolts in their best-of-seven semis, 4-2, capped by the 97-94 Game 6 clincher at the Ynares Center.
In doing so, the telecommunication franchise followed in the footsteps of the Powerade Tigers, who reached the 2012 Philippine Cup Finals as the eighth seed by bundling out No. 1 seed B-Meg (now Magnolia) in the quarterfinals and Rain or Shine in the semis.
Unfortunately, Powerade failed to make it all the way as it lost, 4-1, to a powerhouse TNT side coached by Chot Reyes.
Now, Reyes will have a shot at accomplishing the feat that Powerade failed to complete.
“Unbelievable, coming from eighth place. Right? We have to win twice to get to the semis. And now we’re here,” said the TNT mentor, savoring the fifth straight finals appearance for the Tropang 5G.
“As long as we’re getting there and giving ourselves opportunities. We’ll just take our chances.”
Asked about having to advance at the expense of NLEX and Meralco, Reyes said that’s how the cookie crumbles.
“That’s life,” he said with a big smile on his face. “That’s what we have to go through.”
Reyes added how TNT once took down all three SMC teams on its way to winning the 2021 Philippine Cup crown, defeating Barangay Ginebra in the quarterfinals, San Miguel in the semifinals, and Magnolia in the finals.
“Kelan ba yung tournament na puro San Miguel team yung pinagdaanan namin,” he said. “We just have to go through the wringer. Getting into the finals is hard. Very, very hard. But now that we’re here, we should not be content.”
TNT will be facingGinebra in the finals anew, marking the third meeting in the last four conference between the two multi-titled franchises.
The best-of-seven title series starts on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
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