The TNT Tropang Giga is scheduled for a head-to-head game against the NLEX Road Warriors at 6:45 PM on October 29, 2020 live from the AUF Sports Arena & Cultural Center in Angeles City, Pampanga.
Despite its ace player Jayson Castro sidelined by a right calf issue, TNT Tropang Giga hardly wavered, sustaining its romp with a 109-96 blasting of Blackwater Elite in their previous match in the PBA bubble.
No Castro, no problem for TNT as RR Pogoy, Troy Rosario, Bobby Ray Parks, Simon Enciso, and Poy Erram shared the load as the Tropang Giga once again took the solo lead, still with a perfect slate (5-0) nearing the halfway mark of the short one-round-robin eliminations.
Pogoy scored all of TNT’s first eight points, counting two treys, to set the tone in their hot shooting night marked by 13 triples in all. He finished with 20 points on top of seven rebounds, four assists, and three steals against one turnover in another shining performance in what has been a solid bubble stint. Parks, Rosario, Enciso, and Erram helped carry the load with at least 14 points apiece.
In the process, Tropang Giga handed a second straight loss to the Elite, its third in five games overall.
Meanwhile, NLEX is coming to this match with back-to-back defeats as it squandered a career-best 27-point outing from Raul Soyud and the usual lift from Kiefer Ravena, who chipped in 18 points, 10 assists, and five rebounds. JR Quinahan also finished with 18 points, while Kevin Alas tallied 15.
The Road Warriors took early double-digit spreads and enjoyed a 14-point lead midway through the third before hitting the wall. Still, they played tough to the finish, but the Fuel Masters just won’t be denied.
Talking about the importance of their upcoming game against Tropang Giga, Ravena said: “We all know how important this game is for both of us. They beat us at the last conference so we cannot relax. We have to go out and get it.”