[Saba Sports News] Scoring wideout Rondae Hollis Jefferson sat out with a bone bruise in his right ankle, and Calvin Oftana left early with a bruised lip.
(Source: Getty Image)
But that wasn’t a problem for TNT, as the team’s home-based players performed well in an all-Filipino showdown against NorthPort to successfully close out the preliminary round for the PBA Governors Cup.
After a year out recovering from a knee injury, Poy Erram came through with a strong performance, scoring 17 points, pulling down 13 rebounds and dishing out four assists to lead Tropang Giga to a 99-79 rout of North Harbour in the game at Smart Alanata Arena on Sunday night.
Rey Nambatac, whom they acquired ina pre-season trade, contributed 15 points and 11 rebounds, RR Pogoy was outstanding with 14 points and three 3-pointers, Henry Galinato scored 11, Kelly Williams added nine points and eight rebounds. The 20-point win gave TNT the No. 1 seed in Group A with an 8-2 record.
Elam’s putback ignited the morale of the team, helping TNT open the fourth quarter with a 14-2 run that set the stage for an easy victory. The victory also restored the defending champions to form for a surprise 72-84 loss to previously winless Terrafirma.