While San Miguel Beer was in a difficult process to finish the Barangay Ginebra at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Wednesday evening, the whole TNT team transformed the meeting room of the PLDT offices in Makati City into a proverbial situation room.
This is where the Tropang 5G not only met its big bosses for a pre-final dinner, but they also used the gathering to watch the semi-record match of match 7 before making initial intrigues for the next series of the Philippine PBA Cup against the Beermen.
“We did not want to finish the night or separate from our ways without knowing who our opponent is,” said coach Chot Reyes, who has this chance to finish a big slam 14 seasons of his last blow – and against the same franchise. “We made two birds with a stone at night.”
Reyes said that the meeting had also had light moments, but that there was also a realization of what could expect us to TNT because it targets a place in the history of the PBA with a historical scan with triple crown.
After winning two titles at the expense of Ginebra in season 49, TNT will this time have a different opponent in San Miguel, a team that is eager to regain its status as the best of the PBA the most important conference and relive a former role of being the spoiler 14 years ago.
This season has won the Philippine Cup and the commissioner’s cup and was a shy victory to finish the feat against San Miguel, then known as Petron.
“I already forgot this,” said Reyes on Friday. “2011 is really an ancient story for me, so it’s really not in my conscience.” At that time, Reyes had Jimmy Alapag, a young Jayson Castro, Kelly Williams at his peak and a Ryan Reyes who could keep several positions, leading his team. But they could not do the work and the Blaze Boosters of Arwind Santos and Danny Ildefonso prevented a triple crown sweep with a victory for match 7.
Another secondary intrigue of the series was the tournament elimination phase, which saw Tropang 5G Reel at a start of 0-3 head for their match with the Beermen, a potential brand or breakup scenario.
TNT not only won behind a 20-20 match of Calvin Oftana more heroic late from Simon Enciso, he triggered a race which still set up his possible entry on the ultimate scene of the PBA.
“We talked about this game among ourselves,” said Reyes. “It was our first victory, and we thought it was crucial for us. Otherwise, we would have disappeared 0-4 and it would have been very difficult for us (to get back on the right track).
“It was really a turning point and I hope we can continue to find ways to compete with San Miguel,” he added.
Of course, the addition of Jordan Heading and the return of Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser from the injury also added a layer to the TNT race which prepared for a potential expiation for this offset offer of the Grand Slam.
Reyes continued to play shy when asked for this potential place in the annals of the PBA, but he recognized the need to face it with a “disciplined thought”.
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“Just prepare mentally and make sure you don’t allow your mind to wander,” said Reyes. “And this is completely under my control, it does nothing with external interference, it is completely under my control.
“So, I constantly strengthen the things I do and that I also remind players to shorten your vision to what is now,” he added.
