By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
The TNT Tropang Giga just made a strong case as the current best team in the PBA 3×3 scene.
After a series of thrilling wins on their way to another championship appearance, the Tropang Giga inked their franchise in the history books after winning a grand slam title at the expense of the San Miguel Beermen, 21-18, during the finals of the Third Conference last February 26, 2023, held at the Robinsons Place in Las Pinas.
Lervin Flores rose to the occasion and carried the Tropang Giga with 11 big points built from 7/9 shooting from the field.
After San Miguel did a good job of containing TNT’s super scorer Almond Vosotros, it was Flores who carried the load and dominated his way inside the shaded lane.
Flores began to take over midway through the game and went unconscious after hitting consecutive hook shots, most of it in his favorite spot in the left block.
The high-flying forward capped off his majestic performance with a series of defensive rebounds that enabled the Tropang Giga to reset their offensive executions in the most crucial stretch of the championship game.
In the last two minutes of the game, it was Vosotros who nailed the clutch baskets that fended off San Miguel’s last comeback attempt.
Although held below his average scoring, Vosotros still put up seven points while former PBA defensive stopper Ping Exciminiano added three markers.
San Miguel’s superstar center Ken Bono waxed hot in the end game but his seven-point contribution wasn’t enough to help his squad salvage the win.
The Tropang Giga took home a total of 750,000 pesos after the championship win and cemented their names as the best PBA 3×3 team after three conferences.
