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Olmin Leyba - The Philippine Star
February 7, 2025 | 12:00am
NorthPort import Kadeem Jack scores on a two-handed jam with Magnolia guard Paul Lee looking on.
STAR / File
MANILA, Philippines — Second seed TNT put in a lot of blood, sweat and tears to get hold of a win-once advantage in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup quarterfinals.
Last night, the Tropang Giga made sure to cash in on this precious bonus and secure their semifinal seat via a 109-93 blasting of No. 7 Eastern at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
The reigning Governors’ Cup titlist stepped on the gas in the fourth, leaving behind an opponent that challenged them barely 24 hours after playing a game in the East Asia Super League in Taiwan.
Quarterfinal business done, the Tropang Giga now await the winner of the best-of-three quarterfinal series between No. 3 Converge and No. 6 Rain or Shine. The FiberXers lead this duel, 1-0.
Like TNT, top seed NorthPort also took the fast lane to the Final Four by knocking out No. 8 Magnolia, 113-110.
The Batang Pier can rest easy for now while No. 4 Barangay Ginebra and No. 5 Meralco fight over the right to play them in the Final Four. The Gin Kings hold a 1-0 head start.
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson dropped 31 points and 15 rebounds in clinching it for TNT, which stayed on course for championship No. 2 in Season 49.
Providing comprehensive support were Rey Nambatac (18), Jayson Castro (16), Poy Erram (15) and Calvin Oftana (12).
Earlier, NorthPort faced a Magnolia team bent on forcing a sudden death and buried the former to an early 14-point hole.
But the Batang Pier’s strong determination moved them to push harder, bring this one to bed, now rather than later.
“On their own, nag-meeting ang mga players before this game. Gusto nila talaga makuha na (semifinal berth) on this day at huwag na paabutin sa Sunday (sudden death),” shared NorthPort assistant coach Rensy Bajar.
Outplayed by the Hotshots in the first 24 minutes, the Batang Pier shifted to high gear and unleashed a 19-1 bomb after restart that got the Hotshots dazed.
After grabbing the upper hand in the third, 83-76, the Batang Pier extended the gap to as many as 14. And even though the Hotshots, mostly behind Paul Lee’s snipings from long range, threatened to within one in the stretch, NorthPort did enough in the stretch to escape.
