TNT bows to Al Riyadi, wraps up Abu Dhabi stint with 1–2 record

TNT Tropang Giga capped their campaign at the Abu Dhabi International Basketball Championship with a humbling 94-53 defeat to Lebanese powerhouse Al Riyadi on Wednesday night, closing the group stage with a 1–2 record.

After a relatively steady opening quarter, TNT unraveled in the middle frames. Al Riyadi outscored the all-Filipino squad 26-14 in the second quarter before clamping down on defense in the third, holding the Tropang Giga to just seven points. That stretch put the game beyond reach as the Lebanese side coasted to victory.

Maurice Kemp led Al Riyadi with a double-double of 24 points and 11 rebounds, while fellow import Ivan Buva chipped in 18 points and 7 boards. Veteran Lebanese forward Hayk Gyokchyan contributed 19 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists.

For TNT, RR Pogoy top-scored with 10 points, but no other player managed to hit double figures in the lopsided loss.

The Tropang Giga earlier dropped their opening assignment to Al Sharjah, 93-74, where Rey Nambatac paced the team with 12 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists.

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3rd at last game na ng TNT Tropang 5G sa tournament. Tara at sumuporta na mga KaTropa!

9:30 pm Oct. 1 UAE Time | 1:30 am Oct. 2 PH Time
Al Riyadi
Al Jazira Club Arena
https://t.co/wu2KZHq7aw#Tropang5G pic.twitter.com/0jm5vt8FAa

— TNT Tropang 5G (@TNTTropang5G) October 1, 2025

They bounced back the next day with a convincing 98-76 win over UAE’s Al Dhafra. In that victory, Calvin Oftana was scorching hot, tallying 21 points on 5-of-7 shooting from three in just 19 minutes. He was supported by Jordan Heading (16 points), Pogoy (14), Rey Nambatac (10), and Henry Galinato (10), as TNT flexed its firepower in a rare balanced scoring effort.

That lone win, however, was sandwiched between two losses that exposed the team’s lack of depth and size against well-stocked international club sides.

Despite the disappointing finish, TNT’s stint in Abu Dhabi was more of a tune-up than a title hunt. Playing without imports and with a shortened rotation, the Tropang Giga used the tournament to sharpen their chemistry and give valuable international experience to their younger pieces.

The outcome also underlined areas needing improvement: interior presence, secondary scoring, and consistent defensive energy against bigger, more versatile squads. Still, flashes from Oftana, Heading, and Nambatac provided encouragement that TNT has offensive firepower outside of its main veterans.

The Tropang Giga now return home with sights set on the PBA’s 50th season, which opens on Sunday. They debut in the Philippine Cup on October 10 against Phoenix at the Ynares Center in Montalban.

For Pogoy and company, the Abu Dhabi run may have ended in a rout, but the lessons gained abroad could prove crucial once the grind of the PBA season begins.

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