THE TNT Tropang 5G will gain a piece of history Friday at the PhilSports Arena, tying Alaska Milk's record of playing a 75th game in a season.
It's been a long PBA Season 49 for coach Chot Reyes and his troops, and their wish now - weary, bruised and all - is to make the most of a chance to give it a special finish.
Reyes told his players "we're in the final week of a long, long season, let's make it the best week."
It would be a great week for the Smart/PLDT franchise if it's able to make it two in a row Friday and bring the mighty San Miguel Beer squad to a seventh deciding game Sunday also at the Pasig City playing venue.
There would be no change in their mantra for the 7:30 p.m. setto but to keep fighting, keep willing and keep believing.
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On the other side of the floor will be a San Miguel side that will be brushing off the scar of an 86-78 Game 5 defeat and take a second try at closing out the series.
The idea is to finish off the Tropa lest they would be a more emboldened and more dangerous rival in a Game 7 decider.
With one foot on the grave, Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser and his teammates fought with a tremendous resolve Wednesday and extended the life of their Grand Slam aspiration with their eight-point victory in a low-scoring battle.
"I saw a lot of fight (from the players) and just an unwillingness to give up," said Reyes.
"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."
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The Tropa were down to a nine-man crew with Poy Erram rejoining Jayson Castro and Rey Nambatac on the sideline.
The question is the readiness of the 6-foot-8 center to return in Game 6.
But the Tropa have long been saying they would battle with what they have.
Stopped on their three-game roll, the Beermen, however, are as much determined to battle back.(SB)
