By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
Not just kings of the 5-on-5, but also on the 3-on-3 stage.
The TNT Tropang Giga continued its Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) dominance after clinching the championship trophy in the recently concluded 3×3 1st leg finals.
TNT’s power quartet of Jeremiah Gray, Almond Vosotros, Lervin Flores, and Samboy De Leon toppled the Meralco Bolts, 21-18, to claim 1st leg supremacy at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig.
Gray, who was one of the most highly-touted rookies during the draft, was an integral piece after lifting the Tropang Giga in the championship game with his 11 big points.
The athleticism and the consistent shooting of Gray caused a lot of problems for the Meralco defense as the experienced player just got what he wanted each time he handled the leather.
With 1:50 remaining in the championship match, the Filipino-American took over and drilled three consecutive two-point shots that put them ahead, 20-17.
Vosotros then iced the game with 6 seconds left in the clock as he was fouled and was sent to the charity stripe which was an automatic freebie for the Tropang Giga.
With the win, the TNT quartet will be receiving 100,000-pesos as cash prize in the Level 4 FIBA 3×3 tournament.
Meanwhile, in the battle for third place, Purefoods outlasted Platinum Karaoke, 22-16, off huge games from Paolo Javelona and Joseph Eriobu.
