Tropang Giga end EASL drought, pull away vs Taipei Fubon Braves

MANILA, Philippines – After five games, the TNT Tropang Gig notched their first victory in the East Asia Super League (EASL,) pulling away in the fourth quarter en route to an 80-69 win over the Taipei Fubon Braves at the Sta. Rosa Sports Complex in Laguna on Wednesday.

After Brendon Smart helped Taipei pull close to TNT, 60-58, with 49 seconds left in the third quarter, the Tropang Giga unleashed 10 straight points extending to the final canto to grab a 70-58 lead capped by a Calvin Oftana trey.

Back-to-back baskets by Sedrick Barefield and Ihor Zaytsev halted the run and cut the lead to eight, 62-70, with less than seven minutes remaining in the game.

New TNT import Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson, who replaced Quincy Miller as TNT's second foreign reinforcement, nipped the run in the bud with a tip-in.

The lead grew to 14, 80-66, with a pull-up by Hollis-Jefferson with 1:22 remaining for the dagger.

A 3-pointer by Steven Guinchard connected with a little more than a minute remaining, but attempts by the Fubon Braves to inch closer went futile.

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and his brother Rahlir finished with 35 and 22 points, respectively for the Tropang Giga, while Oftana added 15.

Chris Johnson led Taipei with 19 points, while Barefield chipped in 15.

TNT now holds a 1-4 win-loss slate, while Taipei dropped to 1-3 in the home-and-away league.

It is the Tropang Giga's first EASL victory since the 2019 Terrific 12. 

TNT will be facing the Anyang Jung Kwan Jang Red Boosters next year.