TNT triumph lets MVP group trim gap vs rival SMC

After TNT’s PBA Governors’ Cup title, the balance of power between the MVP Group and corporate rival San Miguel Corporation (SMC) began a semblance of a shift.

And as much as he appreciates seeing the franchise win three titles in three years, coach Chot Reyes said sustaining TNT’s gains will be one big task beginning with the midseason Commissioner’s Cup slated later this month.

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READ: TNT repeats over Ginebra to retain its PBA Governors’ Cup crown

“It’s really a question of making sure we have a competitive roster,” Reyes said on the heels of the closeout 95-85 Game 6 victory forged despite losing a 10-point second quarter lead and trailing 11 times in the third.

Import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson sparked the comeback with help from PBA Press Corps Finals MVP Jayson Castro and RR Pogoy as TNT became the latest franchise to amass at least 10 titles in the league.

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Retooled

It was TNT’s second straight Governors’ Cup, the first one pulled off in April 2023 with Hollis-Jefferson and Mikey Williams, the Finals MVP after firing 38 points to defeat Ginebra in another Game 6 clincher.

But Williams and management couldn’t come to terms on a new contract that sparked controversy and struggles for the Tropang Giga in the 2023-2024 campaign, where the team suffered a pair of quarterfinal exits in the process.

READ: PBA Finals: TNT, Ginebra show little fondness for four-point line

TNT retooled in the offseason, acquiring Rey Nambatac, while Poy Erram returned from a lengthy absence and Hollis-Jefferson came in eager to atone for an injury-riddled 2023 Commissioner’s Cup and usher in the Tropang Giga’s return to the PBA championship circle.

The Tropang Giga’s title haul came in an eight-conference span that started with their triumph in the 2021 Philippine Cup, breaking their tie with Ginebra and the San Miguel Beermen during the same stretch.

Sister team Meralco is the only team outside of the three juggernauts to win with last season’s Philippine Cup success.

Six-year drought

Before the 2021 Philippine Cup, TNT was in the midst of a six-year drought as San Miguel teams lorded over with 13 of the 14 championships at stake after the Tropang Giga’s 2015 Commissioner’s Cup title run. Rain or Shine was the only independent to win after taking the 2016 Commissioner’s Cup crown.

Expectations are that SMC teams will try to redeem themselves and put some stop to the MVP Group’s rare streak of two consecutive wins and three of the last four conferences.

But for Reyes, there’s confidence in the capability of TNT to sustain its success.