TNT coach eggs on wards to play ‘D’

MANILA, Philippines – As the hot-sniping TNT KaTropa gun for their fifth straight triumph in the PBA Governors’ Cup against slumping NorthPort today, coach Bong Ravena insists trying to win games by out-shooting the opponents just isn’t the right way to do it.

“We really need to step up on our defense,” said Ravena ahead of the 4:30 p.m. encounter with the Batang Pier (1-3) at the Cuneta Astrodome.

“Outscoring our opponents won’t really do it. We have to make stops. We can score anytime but can we stop every possession? That’s the question.”

The KaTropa shoot at a high marksmanship of 56 percent in their first four games, boasting of a 53 percent clip from beyond the arc.

They’re averaging 121.5 markers per outing led by the explosive KJ McDaniels (34.8 ppg) but are giving up 112.25 to their rivals.

Ravena wasn’t particularly pleased with their defensive work last Saturday when they survived a tough stand from Columbian Dyip, 125-120.

“We can’t afford giving opponents (an average of) 30 points in a quarter. So that’s the problem. We have to find ways to solve that next game,” said Ravena, who had expressed a similar sentiment when TNT previously dispatched Phoenix Pulse, 123-118, last Oct. 2.

The Batang Pier, on the other hand, are raring to arrest a three-game skid capped by a 98-107 setback to Blackwater.

“We should come together,” said Sean Anthony, who played his first game after undergoing foot surgery six weeks ago. “We didn’t put the whole game together (against Blackwater). I got to step up and get better for next game.”

Meanwhile, Rain or Shine (1-3) and Phoenix Pulse (1-4) aim to boost their respective shots at the playoffs as they engage in a crucial duel of sliding teams at 7 p.m.

“We’ve talked about our situation. Are we going to panic or what? If we do, that won’t change anything,” said Phoenix mentor Louie Alas.