It was a career-high of 38 points for RR Pogoy last Wednesday, June 12, contributing a total of 10 three-pointers for Talk N Text (TNT), which led to the victory of the KaTropa over Barangay Ginebra at the Smart Araneta Coliseum for another elimination match of the 2019 Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Commissioner’s Cup.
Pogoy, who hails from Cebu, had a 10-of-18 percentage rate beyond the arc, joining Allan Caidic, Kenneth Duremdes, and Marcio Lassiter in the history of the league to score more than ten three-pointers in one match. Yet, despite Pogoy scoring Player of the Game, his teammate, KaTropa import Terrence Jones, stunned as well with a triple-double at 17 points, 14 rebounds, 16 assists, and six blocks. As for their opponents, Justin Brownlee fought hard with a double-double of 29 points and 17 rebounds, while teammates LA Tenorio, Greg Slaughter, and Japeth Aguilar contributed 18, 11, and 11 points respectively.
TNT head coach Bong Ravena is more than pleased with their comeback, still trailing 79-69 in the fourth before Pogoy waxed hot, stating, “What a big win for us. What a way to come back. Credit to all the players. They really played well and stayed in the game.” As for Pogoy specifically, Ravena applauded him, commenting, “He caught fire today. He was just tremendous out there.” He appreciated the shooter’s tandem with Jones, explaining, “He created shots for others especially Roger. We’re surprised his output was not as much as the past games but we still won. That’s what’s important.”
The KaTropa now stands with a 5-1 win-loss record for the season, their next match against the Meralco Bolts on Saturday, June 15 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. Ginebra, possessing a 2-3 standing, will face the San Miguel Beermen at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Sunday, June 16.