(PBA image)
TNT is looking to deliver another statement performance Friday as it tries to push Meralco closer to the brink in their PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup semifinal clash at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, but coach Chot Reyes is making sure his team’s focus doesn’t wander too far ahead.
Fresh off a dominant wire-to-wire 109-92 win in Game 2, the TNT Tropang Giga can seize a commanding 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series with another victory. That scenario would put them firmly in control of the matchup, yet Reyes insists the mindset inside the TNT camp remains deliberately narrow.
“One of my messages to the players was to keep your vision short,” Reyes said, recalling his talk during their Monday practice. “Just keep our sights on what’s in front of us. Right now, what’s in front of us is Game 3.”
Reyes stressed that nothing beyond the immediate challenge matters. Preparation, he said, remains rooted in the basics—another round of video sessions, identifying areas for improvement, and trying to read what adjustments the Meralco Bolts might bring next.
“We’re not thinking about anything yet beyond Game 3,” he added. “We’ll go back to practice, watch video, see where we can improve, and hope we can anticipate what Meralco’s next move is.”
On the other side, Meralco coach Luigi Trillo kept his postgame assessment straightforward after a loss that was more lopsided than their five-point defeat in the series opener.
“At this point, there are still a lot of games to be played,” Trillo said. “Moving forward, we just need to play better.”
The numbers from Game 2 underline how steep that task is. The Bolts shot just 30-of-72 from the field and struggled mightily from deep, hitting only one of 14 attempts from three-point range. TNT, meanwhile, was sharp and relentless, converting 44-of-80 from the floor and drilling 12 of 28 shots from beyond the arc.
Reyes said the offensive outburst simply reflected what his team is built to do. “I think we lead the league in perimeter points and three-point shooting,” he said. “When our outside shots are connecting, our offense becomes a lot smoother.”
Just as crucial, though, was the defensive emphasis. Meralco thrives on its inside game, consistently ranking among the league’s best in points in the paint, and Reyes made it clear that disrupting that strength was a priority.
“We really made it a point to try and stop it as much as we can,” he explained. “They still scored inside, but we made it more difficult. To do that, our on-ball defense had to be on point—and that includes defending the three-point shot.”
Sustaining that defensive edge is now TNT’s main challenge, especially with the expectation that Meralco will respond. Reyes acknowledged there are no illusions inside the TNT locker room about what the Bolts are capable of.
“We know they’re not going to shoot that poorly next time,” he said. “We know how strong that other team is. Our focus has to be on consistently taking away their strengths.”
Trillo, for his part, accepted responsibility for the Game 2 breakdown and pointed to intensity as the missing ingredient. “When they take it to another level, we have to be able to match it,” he said. “We didn’t do that. We didn’t shoot the ball well.”
He was even more blunt about the defensive lapses. “When you give up 29, 28, 25, and 27 points in four quarters, we don’t deserve to win,” Trillo said. “That’s not our calling card.”
With TNT aiming to tighten its grip on the series and Meralco searching for a response, Game 3 shapes up as a pivotal test—not just of tactics, but of focus, urgency, and resolve on both sides.