BACK-to-the-wall TNT summoned tremendous guts and will power, and lived to fight another game with an 86-78 drubbing of San Miguel Beer in Game 5 of the PBA Philippine Cup finals Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
With a tough effort on both ends, the Tropang 5G foiled the Beermen's first crack at wrapping up the championship and narrowed the series gap to 2-3.
Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser, with 18 points, led six TNT players in double-digit outputs as the Tropang 5G's defiant stand bore fruit, allowing the team to force a Game 6 set Friday at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig.
It will be a record-tying 75th game of the season for TNT, equaling Alaska Milk's mark established in 1995, as per PBA stats chief Fidel Mangonon III.
Glenn Khobuntin, however, will have the record all by himself, being the lone TNT player who has yet to miss a game in PBA Season 49.
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But the most important for the Tropang 5G was to stay alive and in chase of their grand slam dream.
With Poy Erram again confined on the sideline, a nine-man TNT crew took care of Game 5 business, with BGR, Kelly Williams, Calvin Oftana, Jordan Heading, RR Pogoy and Almond Vosotros scoring at least 11 points each.
"I saw a lot of fight (from the players) and just an unwillingness to give up," said Reyes, whose charges remained in upbeat mood despite falling to 1-3.
"Our pre-game talk was all about having a very, very long season and now we're in the final week. I told them to make it the best week, let's fight as hard as we can and this happens."
Ganuelas-Rosser and Williams combined for 28 points to lead TNT to a 41-31 halftime lead, with the former making eight of 11 field-goal attempts and the latter going 4-of-8 from the three-point area.
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On the defensive end, TNT had an efficient team effort, making San Miguel to bleed for its baskets. The Beermen struggled with an 11-of-46 field clip as against the Tropang 5G's 17-of-38.
The Beermen managed to trim the gap to six, 59-53, at the end of the third quarter on a late four-point bomb from Jericho Cruz. Then they made it a one-possession game at the start of the fourth.
The Tropang 5G, however, refused to be rattled and instead fought on as they even raced to an 18-point lead and went on to extend the series.(SB)
