Chot Reyes lauds the grit displayed by TNT after beating Magnolia to reach the PBA semifinals

TNT Tropang Giga continue to inch closer to making Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) history and securing that elusive “Grand Slam” of titles after surviving a major scare from the Magnolia Hotshots to qualify for the Philippine Cup semifinals.

TNT defeated Magnolia 80–79 in a do-or-die quarterfinal clash on Saturday, June 21, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium. What made their run to the semifinals even more impressive was that they overcame their opponents’ twice-to-beat advantage heading into the quarterfinals.

TNT had veteran Kelly Williams to thank, as his two free throws with 2.7 seconds left saved Tropang Giga from a near-certain defeat. Even more remarkably, they secured the win despite being without Brian Heruela (injury), Rey Nambatac (left off the playoff roster), and Calvin Oftana, who played through an ankle sprain.

#WATCH: “DAMING NANGYAYARI SA AMIN, PERO LABAN PA RIN TAYO.”

Roger Pogoy shares how Coach Chot Reyes’ words fuel TNT’s fight amid injuries 💪

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Tropang Giga head coach Chot Reyes praised the “never-say-die spirit” of his team, believing it was the key to their victory.

“We are lucky that Kelly made those two free throws because I don’t think we would have lasted those five minutes if we went into overtime. The spirit of the players, their unwillingness to give up—those were the keys,” Reyes said in the post-match press conference.

Central to the win were strong performances from Williams, who posted 10 points and 10 rebounds, while Roger Pogoy and Calvin Oftana each contributed 18 points. Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser added 12 points and five rebounds to help TNT become just the 18th team in PBA history to defeat an opponent with a twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals.

TNT now face the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in the Philippine Cup semifinals and enter the series as favorites. This marks the third straight conference where the two teams will meet in the semifinals, with TNT having won in both the Governors’ Cup and Commissioner’s Cup.

The Tropang Giga vs. Rain or Shine semifinal matchup is scheduled for Wednesday, June 25, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

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