A 10-DAY rest could be boon or a bane for league-leading TNT when it tackles Rain or Shine in the Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The KaTropa deserved the long breather after they were consumed by a five-game win streak that placed them on top of standings at 7-1 won-lost.
But the team may have to get back into groove immediately when it takes on the Elasto Painters (3-4), who are eyeing to mount a strong push from the middle of the pack to avoid top-seed squads in the knockout rounds.
Game time is at 7 p.m.
Meanwhile, second-running NorthPort (7-2) tries to bounce back from a 10-point loss to Phoenix last week when it clashes with lowly Columbian (2-7) at 4:30 p.m. Returning to the game following his wedding with his longtime partner, Jayson Castro unleashed 22 points that went with five rebounds, six assists and two steals in TNT’s 109-102 win over Columbian on June 21.
As usual, import Terrence Jones produced huge numbers of 39 points and 17 boards, and also added seven blocks and six assists to propel the squad to the five-game win run.
But it wasn’t that easy as TNT had to endure scary moments in the third quarter when Columbian grabbed the momentum with an eight-point swing.
The KaTropa also had a bad start, giving Dyip some boost to pull away in the first quarter.
This worries Head Coach Bong Ravena as he emphasized the need for his players to stay sharp, especially that the conference is entering the home stretch.
“We started slow against Columbia. Obviously we need to address that. But this long break would give us enough rest to refocus in our game with Rain or Shine,” Ravena said.
Meanwhile, Denzel Bowles continued to flex his muscles but his efforts were not enough to bail the Elasto Painters against the NLEX Road Warriors, 100-97.
Bowles had 35 points and nine rebounds, while Kris Rosales added 18 in a game that was decided until the last tick of the clock.