TNT survives Macau scare, opens PBA Govs’ Cup title defense with escape act

TNT overcame a sloppy endgame before escaping the hard-fighting Macau with a 106-103 decision to open its title defense bid in the PBA Season 50 Governors’ Cup on the right foot, Sunday at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.

The Tropang 5G already held a supposedly comfortable 15-point lead entering the final three minutes, but the Giant Pandas slowly chipped away at the deficit and found themselves trailing by just a field goal with 4.5 seconds left.

It was due to a 14-1 spurt but luck sided the reigning champs, with Damian Chongqui failing to perfect his trips to the line that could’ve tied the game up.

Rey Nambatac split his own freebies with about three ticks remaining and still kept the door open for the other team, but Liu Xucheng threw an ill-advised halfcourt heave even with ample time for a proper shot in a sorry finish.

Nambatad and Darius Days finished with 23 points apiece for TNT.

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