Jayson Castro led the TNT Tropang Giga to a hard-fought 88-84 win over the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, taking the early lead in their best-of-seven semifinal series in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup, held Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Despite struggles with his shooting, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson came through with two crucial baskets in the final moments, helping the Tropang Giga prevent the Elasto Painters from forcing overtime and securing the victory. Castro and Calvin Oftana, both fresh off intense national team duties, also played pivotal roles in TNT’s big win.

Castro topped the team with 24 points, his highest output in two years. Hollis-Jefferson, who shot just 8-of-27 from the field, still managed to put up 23 points, while Oftana made a huge impact with six three-pointers, finishing with 22 points.

Rain or Shine fought hard but couldn’t capitalize on their chances to catch up. With TNT holding a 87-84 lead with two minutes remaining, their defense stepped up to seal the win.

Rain or Shine started strong, building a lead of as much as eight points in the second quarter. However, TNT responded with Oftana’s four triples in the period, leading them to a 51-47 halftime advantage.

Import Deon Thompson led Rain or Shine with 29 points and 16 rebounds, while Adrian Nocum added 18 points.

With TNT now leading the series 1-0, they will aim to extend their advantage in Game 2, set for Friday at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City.

Games Tuesday
(Philsports Arena)
2 p.m. – Farm Fresh vs Galeries Tower
4 p.m. – Choco Mucho vs Gerflor
6 p.m. – Creamline vs Chery Tiggo

MANILA — In a commanding performance, CIGNAL showcased its superior hitting and blocking prowess, overwhelming Nxled with a convincing 25-17, 25-14, 25-14 victory on Saturday (25 Nov 2023) at the Philsports Arena.

This triumph propelled the veteran-laden HD Spikers one step closer to securing a coveted spot in the Premier Volleyball League Second All-Filipino Conference semifinals.

Vanie Gandler played a pivotal role, contributing nine of her 12 points in the opening frame, setting the tone for CIGNAL’s dominance over the youthful Chameleons.

The team’s resilience shone through as they bounced back from a tough defeat to Chery Tiggo, securing a 7-3 record with Gerflor as their final preliminary opponent.

Meanwhile, PetroGazz kept their slim semifinal hopes alive with a hard-fought 25-18, 17-25, 25-22, 30-28 triumph over Akari, securing a 6-4 card.

Unfortunately, the Chargers bowed out of contention with their fifth loss in 10 matches.

Drawing valuable lessons from their previous defeat to Chery Tiggo, the HD Spikers demonstrated adaptability, applying newfound strategies in their impressive performance against Nxled.

“Mahirap kasi yung talo namin last game. So ang reminder ng coaching staff (after the loss) is mag-move forward kami kasi may last two games pa kami,” said Jovelyn Gonzaga, who backed Gandler’s strong offensive game with 12 points, including three blocks, and 10 digs.

“Kailangan namin ipanalo para may baon kaming confidence and yung pride namin pagdating sa semis. Ang training talaga namin puspusan talaga,” she added.

Creamline and sister team Choco Mucho have booked the first two Final Four slots, with third-running Chery Tiggo looking to nail the other Final Four spot against already-eliminated F2 Logistics at press time.

“We thank the Lord for this win, and the management, too,” said Cignal coach Shaq delos Santos. “Of course, sa team namin kasi alam ko kung gaano nila pinaghirapan yung naging training namin. Good thing nabawi namin, isa na lang and kailangan namin para sure na kami sa semis.”

Rose Doria also scored 12 points, including two service aces, while Ces Molina had two aces for an 11-point showing and collected 10 digs for the HD Spikers.

Gonzaga also commended Gel Cayuna’s superb game, as the Cignal setter lobbed 14 excellent sets and contributed two of her team’s nine blocks.

“Ike-credit ko din si Gel (Cayuna) kasi ang ganda ng ball distribution niya. Ang ganda ng mga sets niya sa akin,” Gonzaga said.

Lycha Ebon, May Luna, and Camille Victoria each scored six points for the Chameleons, who dropped to 3-7.

(ai/mnm)