Tropang 5G spoil LA’s return with big win over Hotshots for playoff edge
TNT had a job to do and made sure that LA Tenorio returned to the PBA as a player in the same way he left it: with a loss.
The Tropang 5G spoiled Tenorio’s return from retirement, as a player-coach this time, as TNT demolished the Magnolia Hotshots, 94-83, to grab a twice-to-beat privilege in the first round of the Philippine Cup playoffs at Araneta Coliseum on Sunday.
Chot Reyes was proud seeing one of his former players wear two hats; one as a coach and the other as an active Hotshot. And with Tenorio being his former player, he had some ideas on how the Hotshots would be playing.
“When it did happen, we were not at all surprised,” Reyes said after the Tropang 5G closed out with an 8-3 card and gave Converge a free ride into the top four. “I also knew he would start to give them a big boost of energy, so the last instruction I gave to my players was, ‘don’t let him affect our energy.’”
“We knew they were going to come out super-pumped because they’re playing with their coach beside them,” Reyes continued. “I just made sure we keep up our own energy and our own effort.”
Despite a hot start under Tenorio, the Hotshots will advance to the quarterfinals at the lower half of the draw and would need to beat a higher-ranked foe—possibly this same TNT crew—two straight times to advance.
It’s the same predicament facing Barangay Ginebra, Meralco and NLEx. Titan Ultra, Phoenix and the laughable Terrafirma and Blackwater squads missed the playoffs.
The Tropang 5G made sure Tenorio, the player, would struggle, limiting the shifty point guard to just four points, three assists and two rebounds.
While the TNT defense bombed Tenorio’s comeback, Jordan Heading played a big role offensively for TNT, finishing with 23 points that went with six rebounds, two assists. He had two big shots that kept the Hotshots at bay.
Making it close
TNT led by 19, 70-51, before Tenorio’s wards made a late-game charge that made for a semblance of a game.
Magnolia rookie Yukien Andrada sank a huge three-pointer heading into the final 1:07 that had the Hotshots coming within 86-81.
However, Heading would answer on the other end with a tough lay-up and a foul to put the game on ice, 88-81, with 49 seconds left.
Calvin Oftana finished with 17 points and nine rebounds and Rey Nambatac and Kelly Williams had 11 points each for the Tropang 5G.
Zav Lucero and Mark Barroca finished with 17 and 16 points, respectively, for the Hotshots.
