Roger Pogoy says TNT needs more than his offense after beating Rain or Shine in Game 1 of the PBA semifinals

The TNT Tropang Giga kept their hopes of securing an elusive Grand Slam of titles alive by beating Rain or Shine, 98–91, in Game 1 of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup semifinals on Wednesday, June 25, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

Central to their victory was the performance of veteran guard Roger Pogoy, who scored a game-high 28 points, including 13 in the fourth quarter, which fueled Tropang Giga’s decisive break from the Elasto Painters’ clutches. It was a collective effort from the TNT squad, as five other players also scored in double digits. Poy Erram finished with 16 points and 13 rebounds, while Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser and Calvin Oftana contributed 13 points and 10 assists, and 12 points and 10 assists, respectively.

In the post-match press conference, Pogoy admitted that his team needs more from him defensively if they are to secure a place in the Philippine Cup finals.

“It will take a collective effort for us to win this series. We are not the most talented team in the PBA, but we will do our best to be the best team in the PBA,” Pogoy said.

TNT head coach Chot Reyes was pleased with the collective effort shown by his players and was particularly impressed by the team’s increased intensity on defense.

WATCH: TNT’s Roger Pogoy and coach Chot Reyes after the win vs. Rain or Shine in Game 1 of the semis. | @MeloFuertesINQ

• Follow our #PBA live updates here: https://t.co/zILMxwE6iO pic.twitter.com/Mk0bGOPUL6

— INQUIRER Sports (@INQUIRERSports) June 25, 2025

“I thought our defense held. We know that Rain or Shine is the second-highest scoring team in the league with 108, 110 points a game. So we really wanted to keep them to, if possible, below 90. We almost did that, except we gave up a lot of fouls in the end. So I think that was the difference-maker — our ability to force them to play halfcourt. And when they play halfcourt, we’ve got a better chance of defending them,” Reyes added.

The Tropang Giga have had the upper hand over their opponents in recent matchups, having beaten Rain or Shine 4–1 in both the Governors’ Cup and Commissioner’s Cup semifinals earlier this season.

However, Reyes is staying focused on the present rather than resting on past success.

“Hindi na naman iniisip ‘yung nakaraan. The past series is already history, so that’s the farthest from our mind. We wanted to make sure that we keep our focus only on this game, on these 48 minutes. We are only concerned with the present, and right now our only concern is the next game,” he concluded.

TNT will aim to double their lead in Game 2 of the semifinals, scheduled for Friday, June 27, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

OKBET is Asia’s most trusted and popular online sports gaming platform. Visit us on OKBET to stay up to date with all sports news from around the world.