Tropang Giga roar on

Super sealers join March to KO play

MANILA, Philippines — First-leg winner TNT Tropang Giga continued their fine form and barged into the quarterfinals of the second leg of PBA 3x3 yesterday at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City.

Tropang Giga Almond Vosotros, Jeremiah Gray, Samboy de Leon and Lervin Flores raced to three consecutive wins in Pool A and finished the elims with a 3-1 win-loss card for a safe passage into the knockout play.

TNT showed its fightback genes in rallying past the Zamboanga Valientes, 21-18, and the Sista Super Sealers, 21-17, then dominated San Miguel Beer, 21-12, to stretch its streak in the 3x3 inaugurals to 10 games overall dating back to last weekend’s opening. The Tropang Giga fell short of an elims sweep, though, as Larry Fonacier and the Cavitex Braves stopped them on their tracks, 20-19.

Sista matched TNT’s card to reach the quarters as well. The quartet of Kenneth Mocon, Prince Rivero, RJ Argamino and Leo de Vera posted victories over Cavitex, 22-16, Zamboanga, 22-18, and SMB, 21-19.

The Braves had 2-1 at presstime, their other victory coming at the expense of the Valientes, 21-8.

Terrafirma and guest team Pioneer Pro Tibay stormed to back-to-back wins to show the way in Pool B and Pool C, respectively.

The Dyip upset first-leg runner-up Meralco, 17-14, banking on a Dhon Reverente bucket and back-to-back two-pointers from Roider Cabrera to complete the steal.

Cabrera then saved the day against Ginebra, connecting from beyond the arc to initially force a 17-17 count at the end of regulation then scoring the game-winning two in extra time.

Pioneer’s Robin Roño, Gian Abrigo, Carlo de Chavez and Carlo Escalambre first pulled off an exciting come-from-behind 21-20 squeaker over the Purefoods TJ Titans, the third-placers in last week’s kickoff leg. The Titans got on the hill on a Joseph Eriobu putback but Pioneer unraveled six unanswered points capped by a Roño deuce and lay-up to reach 21 points first. Roño and company then followed up with a 22-12 romp over NorthPort.

Also off to a 2-0 start in Pool C for a quarters seat was first-leg fourth-placer Platinum Karaoke.

Platinum prevailed over the Titans, 21-16, in a game where Purefoods’ Val Acuna was forced out of action after an accidental clash of heads with Chris de Chavez.

It later routed the Batang Pier, 21-10.

In the day’s opener, Mac Cardona and the Valientes poised the upset axe on TNT as they raced to a 10-5 tear and even held a 17-15 upperhand with under four minutes left.

But Vosotros sparked a searing windup, knocking down a pair of two-balls that gave the Tropang Giga the first taste of the lead at 19-17. Flores banged in a pair of inside shots sandwiching a Cardona split to ice it for TNT.

The Tropang Giga also found themselves trailing Sista, 10-6 but turned things around with a 13-3 exchange.  They were already in the groove by the time they battled the Beermen and roared to a 14-5 start.