TNT enjoyed a relatively successful PBA Philippine Cup campaign inside the bubble after a major trade and the emergence of young stars from the Tropang GIGA side.
Here are the top stories of the Tropang GIGA in 2020.
Erram joins TNT
The Tropang Giga were involved in a blockbuster trade as they were able to acquire NLEX’s top big man Poy Erram in a trade that also included Blackwater last February. Erram returned to the team that drafted him in 15th overall in 2013, as TNT got a legitimate big man it has been looking for in the past years.
RDO returns to TNT as assistant coach
Ranidel de Ocampo made his return to TNT but not as a player but as an assistant coach after the former Gilas standout was hired by the Tropang GIGA. De Ocampo announced his retirement in March, but stayed in basketball with a place in the coaching staff of the team he played for nine years, winning six crowns in the process.
Baldwin fined, removed
Last June, TNT decided to oust its assistant coach Tab Baldwin after his controversial remarks in a podcast in which he gave his take about the landscape of Philippine basketball including the PBA and Gilas Pilipinas. Before the removal, Baldwin was fined P75,000 and suspended three games as his comments were found "detrimental to the league" by the PBA.
Pogoy, Parks scoring explosion
TNT’s campaign in the bubble got off to a scintillating start after two of its players exploded on offense. In the first day of the PBA bubble last October 11, Roger Pogoy scored a career-high 45 points in TNT’s outstanding season debut in defeating Alaska, 100-95. Two days later, it was Bobby Ray Parks’ turn to take the lead offensively as the sophomore scored 40 points in the Tropang GIGA’s 112-101 win over Terrafirma.
TNT reaches finals, but loses to Ginebra
The Tropang GIGA made their way to the finals of the Philippine Cup bubble, a first for the squad in the conference since they won the crown in 2013. TNT began the conference with a 5-0 win-loss record before taking third place in the quarterfinals with a 7-4 record. The Tropang GIGA defeated Alaska in the quarters before conquering Phoenix Super LPG in the semifinals in five games. However, injuries took its toll as TNT went deep into the bubble campaign with Bobby Ray Parks and Jayson Castro getting hurt, resulting to a 4-1 series defeat against Barangay Ginebra.
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