TNT Tropang Giga destroys Blackwater in PBA resumption

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

The TNT Tropang Giga showed no signs of rust despite almost a month of lay-off after obliterating the Blackwater Elite Bossing in the first game of the PBA Philippine Cup resumption, 96-76.

It was a stellar opening half for the Blackwater hoopers as the return of star Carl Bryan Cruz gave them an extra lift offensively.

Cruz’s quick seven points in just five minutes of the first quarter became Blackwater’s sparkplug in the following quarter where they would manhandle the Tropang Giga after outscoring them 25-9 to close the first 24 minutes of the ball game with a 43-37 lead.

However, Blackwater’s worst nightmare came in as the whole Tropang Giga crew just flipped the switch and became an entirely different team in the next two quarters.

Roger Pogoy and Jayson Castro carried the TNT pack and just shot the lights out in the third quarter to lead their team’s 37-point quarter burst.

Key guys from the bench also stepped up huge as the trio of Brian Heruela, Dave Marcelo, and Negrense Kib Montalbo contributed not only in the scoring column but also on the defensive end of the floor.

TNT kept pouring on the points in the fourth quarter and showed no mercy against the Blackwater team who are yet to get to the winning column of the league.

Rookie Mikey Williams finally broke out of his shooting slump and led the Tropang Giga in the scoring department with 16 while the duo of Pogoy and Castro scored 13 and 11 points respectively.