COMEBACKING coach Chot Reyes called up, and big man Troy Rosario quickly answered as TnT Tropang Giga kept its perfect start in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup.
Taking Reyes’ challenge to the heart, Rosario stood up, stepped forward, and lived up to his potential on the way to being named the Cignal Play-PBA Press Corps Player of the Week for the period July 26- August 1.
The versatile forward averaged 14.0 points on 55 percent shooting clip, while adding 11. 0 rebounds in the Tropang Giga’s two wins over Rain or Shine and Phoenix Super LPG coming off an almost two-week layoff to observe the league’s health and safety protocols.
Rosario, the second overall pick in the 2015 draft, submitted 13 points and 14 rebounds in the Tropang Giga’s 79-69 win over the Elasto Painters before coming up clutch in their 84-80 comeback win against the Fuel Masters.
The veteran Gilas Pilipinas stalwart finished with 15 markers and eight boards in the victory over Phoenix including eight in a 14-3 closeout to overturn a 70-77 deficit as TNT improved to 3-0 overall just behind leader Magnolia (4-0).
Rosario was named Best Player of the Game in both wins, giving Reyes a fitting present on his 58th birthday last August 1.
Rosario won the weekly citation being given by the group covering the PBA beat over Chris Newsome and Nard John Pinto of Meralco, which also went 2-0 last week before PBA action was momentarily halted due to restrictions in the NCR brought about by the rising COVID-19 cases related to the Delta variant.
Meanwhile, the PBA is temporarily suspending its Philippine Cup games starting August 4 (Wednesday) in support of the government’s directive in addressing the unwanted rise of COVID-19 Delta variant infections.
The government presently put the National Capital Region (NCR) under a General Community Quarantine with heightened and additional restrictions from July 30 to August 5.
The league is waiting for the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF EID) decision regarding its request to temporarily transfer and continue its games in Lipa, Batangas as NCR will be under Enhanced Community Quarantine — the strictest quarantine status – from August 6 to 20.