Magnolia on the brink after lopsided Game 4 loss to TNT

TNT pushed Magnolia on the brink of elimination in the PBA Season 47 Philippine Cup after pulling off a 102-84 victory in Game 4 of the semifinals, Wednesday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.

The Tropang Giga used a big 3rd quarter explosion to turn a tight contest into a lopsided match on the way to their 3rd win in the series against a single loss and one step closer to a return trip to the championship round of the league’s most prestigious conference.

Poy Erram made his presence felt on both ends of the court and finished with a big double-double of 19 points and 13 rebounds in just 24 minutes of action to power the flagship team of the MVP group to their second straight win and one away from disposing of the SMC-owned franchise for the second straight season.

“We knew that Magnolia was going to come out hard. But these guys, I think they were ready. Our preparation isn’t only technical, but also mental, emotional, and psychological. That’s important,” said TNT head coach Chot Reyes during the post-game presser.

“As usual, we looked at whatever defensive adjustments we could make and how they’re scoring against us. The focus on this game really was two-fold. No. 1 was to make stops. It’s even written on the board,” he added.

“And then the second thing, just offensively to limit our turnovers and make sure we took good shots. And I think those two things were the priorities coming into the ball game.”

Roger Pogoy fired 18 points highlighted by 4-of-7 shooting from 3-point country while Mikey Williams added 15 markers, 2 rebounds, 7 rebounds and 3 steals. Troy Rosario chipped in 15 points with 9 coming from beyond the arc to go with 8 boards, 3 assists and a block.

Ian Sangalang paced the Hotshots with 19 points while Paul Lee and Aris Dionisio contributed 17 and 14 markers, respectively.

The Chito Victolero-mentored squad will try to extend the series when the two sides clash in Game 5 which is scheduled on Friday, August 12, 3:00pm at the same venue.

The scores:

TNT 102 — Erram 19, Pogoy 18, M. Williams 15, Rosario 15, Khobuntin 9, Castro 9, Reyes 6, K. Williams 4, Cruz 3, Ganuelas-Rosser 2, Alejandro 2, Montalbo 0, Marcelo 0, Banal 0, Tungcab 0.

Magnolia 84 – Sangalang 19, Lee 17, Dionisio 14, Reavis 7, Barroca 5, Dela Rosa 4, Jalalon 4, Wong 4, Corpuz 4, Abueva 2, Brill 2, Zaldivar 2, Ahanmisi 0, Laput 0, Escoto 0.

Quarterscores: 18-15, 42-38, 70-54, 102-84.