Bey got the better of prolific TNT import Quincy Miller.
Tyler Bey didn’t need to be at his best down the stretch as the Magnolia Hotshots hacked out a 110-102 win over TNT Tropang Giga in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup opener on Sunday.
Still, he wound up with a quiet 31-point, 20-rebound performance as the Hotshots remained undefeated counting their perfect PBA On Tour in the offseason.
Bey's best came in the final two minutes that saw him soar for a two-handed flush off a Paul Lee pass and a putback slam that shut the door on the Tropang Giga with 24.2 ticks remaining.
“It was great,” he said after the match at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. “The first three quarters I wasn’t at my best but they’re there for me.”
Indeed, he had plenty of help with Mark Barroca and Lee chipping in 19 and 17 points, respectively. Among those who played, only Joseph Eriobu wound up scoreless.
Magnolia coach Chito Victolero commended his team for the effort from start to finish.
“This guy is banged up the whole game but he kept on playing hard,” Victolero said, referring to Bey. “Credit to this guy and the whole team, they played hard.”
The Hotshots will next face the Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters on November 12 at the Ynares Center in Antipolo. TNT, on the other hand, will look to bounce back as it faces the Converge FiberXers on November 11, also at the same venue.
(MDB)