TNT and Rain or Shine opened the PBA Season 48 Philippine Cup last Feb, 28, but one campaign ends after this playoff series.
The PBA Season 48 Philippine Cup playoff cast was finally completed Wednesday, May 8, after Terrafirma got the better of NorthPort in a knockout match at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
The Dyip thus secured the eighth seed after entering the playoffs for the first time since 2016, setting them up for a clash in the next round with No. 1 San Miguel, which boasts of a twice-to-beat advantage.
Also armed with a win-once bonus is Ginebra which tangles with No. 7 Magnolia.
Figuring in a best-of-three battle in the playoffs are No. 3 Meralco with sixth-seeded NLEX as well as fourth seed TNT against fifth-ranked Rain or Shine, teams that will kick off action on Friday, May 10.
One Sports delves into each quarterfinal pairing, beginning with the Tropang Giga and the Elasto Painters who will tangle in the 7:30 p.m. mainer at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
No. 4 TNT vs No. 5 Rain or Shine
Elimination round record:
TNT (6-5)
Rain or Shine (6-5)
TNT's Calvin Oftana tries to get past defender Nick Demusis of Rain or Shine in their elimination round match in the PBA Season 48 Philippine Cup last Feb. 28. | Photo (c) PBA
TNT coach Chot Reyes was the first to admit that the Tropang Giga were no longer the mighty team they once were.
TNT struggled in the early goings of the All-Filipino conference, finding itself in the middle of the pack after losing to Blackwater, San Miguel and NorthPort in its first six games.
But thanks in large part to its old reliables in Jayson Castro and Kelly Williams as well as RR Pogoy and Calvin Oftana, the Tropang Giga eventually took wins against NLEX, Phoenix and Magnolia to secure the fourth spot at 6-5.
Rain or Shine, meanwhile, leaned on veteran big man Beau Belga to pump life to its playoff hopes after a 0-4 start.
Beau Belga goes for a layup. | Photo (c) PBA
As Keith Datu went down with an MCL injury, Belga took it upon himself to carry the bulk of the load for the Elasto Painters. The result was a searing five-game win streak against Phoenix, Converge, Blackwater, Terrafirma and NorthPort.
[RELATED STORY: PBA: Beau Belga posts first career triple-double as Rain or Shine blasts Converge]
And while Rain or Shine's hot run was doused by Magnolia, the Elasto Painters quickly rebounded with a victory against NLEX to secure the fifth slot, also at 6-5.
How TNT and Rain or Shine fared against each other in the elims:
TNT looks to score a repeat over Rain or Shine which it edged in a 108-107 thriller last Feb. 28.
The Tropang Giga leaned on Oftana whose 17-point showing, out of a 24-point total, in the second half propelled them to their first victory in the conference opener.
Oftana scored TNT's last five points, giving it a 108-104 cushion against the Elasto Painters with 45 seconds remaining, as he found his groove after being gun-shy in the first 24 minutes of action.
Pogoy and Kim Aurin also delivered, combining for 43 points for the Tropang Giga. Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser also contributed 15 points while Jayson Castro had 14 he topped with seven assists, two of which helped Oftana nail his final baskets.
As for Rain or Shine, it had Adrian Nocum who introduced himself in the match, doing everything on the floor with 20 points, two rebounds and four assists before going down with cramps with still two and a half minutes left to play.
Santi Santillan also came up big in the loss, dropping 20 points and 11 rebounds for the Elasto Painters who also drew double-digit outputs from Andrei Caracut (15), Shaun Ildefonso (11) and Belga (10).
Players to watch:
TNT – Oftana has always been a steady presence for the Tropang Giga this conference on both ends of the floor. But when push comes to shove, they can always rely on Castro, the two-time best point guard in Asia.
However, it is not clear yet whether Castro is at full strength now after suffering from jumper’s knee and hurting his left wrist in TNT’s final elimination round game against Magnolia.
[RELATED STORY: PBA: TNT keeps fingers crossed as Jayson Castro hurts left wrist in win over Magnolia]
Jayson Castro also comes through for TNT in its opening game match against Rain or Shine. | Photo (c) PBA
Rain or Shine – With Datu back, Belga would not feel the need to take charge anew. After all, the Elasto Painters have a bunch of reliable young guns like Santillan and Nocum, whose real mettle will be tested under the bright lights of the playoffs.