Despite missing key players and losing more to injury midgame, TNT Tropang Giga showed resilience and firepower to seize a 108-92 win over the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters on Wednesday, July 2, at the Mall of Asia Arena, moving within one victory of a finals berth in the PBA Philippine Cup.

Jordan Heading delivered his best performance in TNT colors, dropping 23 points, while Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser chipped in 22 points and 11 rebounds. But it was the energized play of the relievers that ultimately shifted the momentum and gave TNT a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven semifinals series.

Stepping up were Glenn Khobuntin, Poy Erram, Henry Galinato Jr., Kim Aurin, and Brian Heruela, who responded with crucial plays after Kelly Williams joined injured teammates Roger Pogoy and Rey Nambatac on the sidelines. Calvin Oftana also rolled his ankle early in the fourth, leaving TNT with limited options.

TNT dominates second half after sluggish start

Coach Chot Reyes lauded his squad’s second-half surge that turned a 41-47 halftime deficit into a runaway win behind lockdown defense and smart offensive adjustments.

“That happened because we gave ourselves a lot of opportunity due to our stops. In the end, it was our defense that fueled our offense,” said Reyes. “The real key was the emergence of Kim Aurin, Glenn Khobuntin and Poy Erram in the second half.”

Reyes added that the three had rough starts, but their second-half revival flipped the script. “They were huge negatives in the first half. I thought that was the turning point.”

The Elasto Painters actually had a promising start behind Gabe Norwood, who posted 18 points and nine boards, while Andrei Caracut added 16 points and seven assists. Caelan Tiongson scored 15 and Adrian Nocum contributed 12.

However, Rain or Shine fell apart in the third quarter, where they were outscored 39-22. They hit just 5-of-21 from the field, while TNT connected on a blistering 17-of-25.

With Oftana and Heading benched, Khobuntin scored 11 of his 16 points in the third, Aurin added all seven of his markers, and Erram contributed four points, five rebounds, and two blocks in that pivotal frame. Even Heruela, seeing his first action of the semifinals, did a bit of everything to push TNT’s lead to 80-69 by the end of the third and as high as 95-76 in the fourth.

Game 5 is set for Friday, July 4, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, where TNT can wrap up the series and keep its Grand Slam dreams alive.