By REYNALD MAGALLON
Mikey Williams returned to his scoring ways as he led TNT to an 87-72 come-from-behind win over the skidding Phoenix Super LPG in the PBA Philippine Cup at the Ynares Center in Antipolo on Sunday, June 26.
After a back-and-forth affair in the first three quarters, the Tropang Giga shifted to a higher gear in the final frame as Williams unloaded seven straight points that triggered a telling 18-2 run that all but took the fight out of the Fuel Masters.
The win improved TNT’s record to 5-2.
In the other game, CJ Perez notched his first career triple-double as San Miguel blew past Converge 111-92 to get back on the winning track.
After being limited to their lowest output this season in their loss to Ginebra, the Beermen put up a masterful performance on the offensive end to build a sizeable margin in the first half which they never relinquished until the final buzzer and improved to a 4-1 record in the standings.
At the forefront of SMB’s offensive barrage was Perez who filled the stat sheet with 15 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists while backcourt running mate Jericho Cruz unloaded 18 of his 21 total output in the first two quarters off the bench.
June Mar Fajardo who could only muster six points against the Kings, bounced back with 18 points which also went with 16 rebounds and three blocks.“I told them we have to bounce back hard against this team. We know na Converge hindi pwedeng biruin makikita naman natin na some of the future stars ay nasa sa kanila,” said Beermen head coach Leo Austria.
Williams finally found his groove in his second game since his return, putting up an all-around effort of 27 points, seven assists and six rebounds while RR Pogoy bounced back from a dismal outing in their last game with 20 points.
More than the offensive explosion in the payoff period, head coach Chot Reyes commended the defense of the Tropang Giga which limited the Fuel Masters to just 14 points in the last 12 minutes of the game.
On top of that, TNT also put the clamps on Matthew Wright who only had three points across his name on a measly 1-of-11 shooting from the field.
“I think our defense kinda wore them down, forcing them to miss after miss and then when we gave ourselves enough opportunities to get shots up,” said Reyes. “You know Mikey when you give him a lot of opportunities, he’s going to make those shots.”
Sean Anthony and Tyler Tio chipped in 13-points apiece while Javee Mocon added 12 but still weren’t enough for the Fuel Masters who were without leading scorer Jason Perkins due to health and safety protocols.
Only up by five, 66-61, Williams took charge and scored on two breakaway layups before nailing a tough step-back right corner triple over Anthony, triggering the telling run early in the final frame. TNT’s defense also smothered Phoenix on the other end as it kept them scoreless for a good five-minute span.
As the dust settled, the Tropang Giga already built a commanding 81-63 lead with a little over three minutes left in the game – an advantage that proved to be enough to sink the Fuel Masters to a 2-4 record.
The scores:
First Game
TNT 87 – M.Williams 27, Pogoy 20, Khobuntin 9, Erram 8, Castro 8, Alejandro 7, Banal 3, K.Williams 2, Ganuelas-Rosser 2, Heruela 1, Cruz 0.
Phoenix 72 – Tio 13, Anthony 13, Mocon 12, Jazul 11, Melecio 6, Manganti 5, Muyang 3, Wright 3, Lalata 2, Garcia 2, Pascual 2, Rios 0.
Quarters: 16-18, 43-46, 62-58, 87-72.
Second Game
San Miguel 111 – Cruz 22, Tautuaa 19, Fajardo 18, Perez 15, Lassiter 12, Canate 10, Zamar 9, Enciso 4, Brondial 2, Pessumal 0, Herndon 0, Faundo 0.
Converge 92 – Bulanadi 22, DiGregorio 21, Hill 15, Ahanmisi 10, Murrell 10, Arana 4, Racal 4, Adamos 2, Tolomia 2, Stockton 2, Ilagan 0, Tratter 0, Browne 0, Lojera 0.
Quarters: 28-16, 62-39, 86-66, 111-92.
