Pacesetting Tropang Giga get back at Gin Kings

MANILA, Philippines — Pacesetting TNT hacked out a vengeful 88-67 triumph over defending champion Barangay Ginebra to add to the woes of its old tormentor yesterday in the PBA Philippine Cup at the Don Honorio Ventura State U Gym in Bacolor, Pampanga.

Touted rookie Mikey Williams and veteran playmaker Jayson Castro provided the 1-2 punch as the Tropang Giga totally outworked and outplayed the Gin Kings in their first meeting since the 2020 All-Filipino finals.

Williams fired a game-high 27 to go with two assists while Castro shot 14 with five dimes to help TNT strengthen its grip on pole position at 8-1.

The quarterfinals-assured Tropang Giga sent the struggling Gin Kings reeling to back-to-back losses and stranded at ninth place at 3-5.

“Coming into the game, we wanted to make sure we exerted better effort than them (Ginebra), make better decisions, and execute better. And I think we achieved that this afternoon,” said TNT coach Chot Reyes.

He said their main agenda was to “contain” Ginebra’s “Twin Towers” Christian Standhardinger and Japeth Aguilar and “Twin Guards” Stanley Pringle and LA Tenorio. Aguilar finished with 18, Standhardinger 14, Pringle 12, and Tenorio scoreless.

Earlier, Rey Nambatac finished off what the youth brigade started as Rain or Shine rallied past San Miguel, 95-93, to go on a two-game streak.

Nambatac knocked down the marginal basket against three defenders with 2.1 seconds left as the fifth-running Elasto Painters picked up their sixth win in 10 outings.

With their third loss against five victories, the Beermen dropped to fourth spot.