William Navarro (front) is slowly finding his footing in the Magno- lia rotation. —AUGUST DELA CRUZ
TNT’s bid for a Grand Slam boils down to one game, when the PBA Philippine Cup quarterfinals tips off on Wednesday in a doubleheader that could resolve even more storylines at PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.
Magnolia owns the first shot at stopping TNT’s chase of the triple crown when the two teams collide at 7:30 p.m.—and even if the Tropang 5G survive that duel, the Hotshots will gain yet another crack at ousting their foes because of their twice-to-beat bonus.
“We have to face whatever’s in front of us,” said TNT star Calvin Oftana, talking about the long trek his team now has to take to accomplish that rare feat of sweeping all three PBA crowns in a season. “At least we’re in the quarterfinals and we still have a chance.”
But the Hotshots are keen on finishing off the Tropang 5G and hurdling the first challenge of their quest to end the franchise’s elusive quest for a championship.
Winning back-to-back games against a playoffs opponent isn’t new for the Tropang 5G, who, in the Commissioner’s Cup Finals, overcame a 3-2 deficit against Barangay Ginebra to claim the title.
TNT is hoping Oftana can at least be productive in spite of an injured ankle that bothered him in Friday’s 88-83 defeat to Magnolia, and that new acquisition Jordan Heading finally gets into the Tropang 5G’s scheme of things.
Another crucial factor could be the return of Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser from a one-game suspension stemming from his Flagrant Foul 2 against Barangay Ginebra.
But Magnolia is poised to impose more trouble on TNT, if Zavier Lucero continues his all-around play from the eliminations, William Navarro has stepped up at the most crucial time and the combined veteran-youth core of Paul Lee, Jerom Lastimosa, Peter Alfaro, Mark Barroca, Ian Sangalang and even Rafi Reavis continues to provide needed contributions.
NLEX tries to make short work of Rain or Shine as well in the 5 p.m. opener and clinch the Road Warriors’ first semifinal berth since the 2022 Governors’ Cup, a span of three seasons or seven conferences.
Robert Bolick and the rest of the Road Warriors, who went 8-3, aim to deny any chance of the Elasto Painters to force a rubber match with a victory in the No. 2 against No. 7 matchup.
But Rain or Shine may turn out as a tough customer, given how it is somewhat similar to NLEX in terms of having almost everyone tasked to make an impact.
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Rain or Shine, however, may have the edge in terms of experience, having been to the semifinals in the last three conferences. INQ