Tropang 5G, Dyip smother foes

MANILA, Philippines -- TNT started off the second half flaming hot and never looked back, blasting the San Miguel Beermen, 116-98, in the PBA Governors' Cup Saturday at the Ynares Center in Antipolo. 

The Tropang 5G dropped 33 points in the third quarter to crack the game wide open and silence the quarterfinal-bound Beermen.

New import Nick Hornsby shone in his PBA debut, finishing with 23 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals to lead seven TNT double-digit scorers. RR Pogoy added 21 points markers off the bench. 

San Miguel was leading by five, 65-60, at the half after Hornsby hit a late layup. 

In the third, the Beermen trailed by one, 77-78, following a jumper by Don Trollano. 

But a 13-4 run, capped by a triple by Pogoy, gave TNT a 91-81 lead in the frame. 

A Jericho Cruz layup inched San Miguel to within eight, 85-93, early on in the fourth, but a backbreaking 14-6 run capped by a pair of freebies by Jordan Heading kept the Tropang 5G’s distance, 107-91. 

The 18-point advantage at the end of the game was the biggest lead of the ballgame as TNT breezed through to the finish line. 

Rey Nambatac tallied 15 points, to go with five rebounds. Jayson Castro chipped in 13, while Jordan Heading and Henry Galinato produced 12 and 10, respectively. 

CJ Perez paced San Miguel with 21 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals, while George King had 20 markers, six dimes and four boards. Marcio Lassiter added 16 pints, while June Mar Fajardo had 14 points and 18 rebounds. 

TNT rose to 6-4 in the standings, good for solo third in Group A, while San Miguel dropped to 7-3. 

In the first game, the Terrafirma Dyip obliterated the lowly Macau Giant Pandas, 146-127, behind a pair of 30-point games from Justin Strings and Juami Tiongson. 

Strings had 32 points and 11 rebounds for Terrafirma, while Tiongson backstopped with 30 markers and seven dimes. JM Bravo added 22 points. Geo Chiu flexed his muscles inside with 18 points and 20 rebounds. 

Oscar Lopez Jr.’s 41 points and 26 rebounds could not carry Macau to a win, as they got booted out of a quarterfinal run. 

Terrafirma rose to 4-6, while Macau dropped to 2-8.