MANILA, Philippines, March 27 ------ Poy Erram gained notoriety throughout the PBA Commissioner’s Cup for having a short fuse, but when TNT needed him the most, he let his game do the talking. Erram delivered a gem of a performance as the Tropang Giga dragged Barangay Ginebra to a winner-take-all battle after earning a hard-fought 87-83 win in Game 6 at the Araneta Coliseum on Wednesday, March 26.
He finished with 14 points, 6 rebounds, 1 block, and 1 steal, scattering 10 points in the pivotal fourth quarter to help TNT stay alive after back-to-back losses in Games 4 and 5. It was a redemption of sorts for Erram, who found himself the subject of scrutiny after he figured in a heated exchange with Tropang Giga head coach Chot Reyes in their Game 5 defeat.
“We just told Poy to focus on shutting off the noise, that’s the most important for him. I told him, of all our players in this series, he was the one with the highest plus-minus,” said Reyes. “But we need him on the floor. Luckily, he did just that tonight.”
True enough, Erram topped the game in highest plus-minus with +8, which is more than his average plus-minus of +7 in the finals. Aside from his timely buckets in the fourth quarter, Erram recorded a crucial offensive rebound with under 10 seconds left that led to import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson sealing the win with a pair of free throws.
The shouting match between Reyes and Erram was a bad look for a TNT side seeking to win a second straight championship this season, one that would put them on track for a rare Grand Slam. But Reyes said the team was all business as the Tropang Giga plotted their Game 6 coup. “We had a regular team meeting yesterday and we didn’t even need to address it because that’s the level of trust in our team — that’s our depth,” said Reyes. “And if we get on each other’s nerve, if we shout at each other, even siblings and family members fight. But that doesn’t mean that they’re going to break up as a family.”
TNT needs another steady outing from Erram as it battles the Gin Kings in the do-or-die Game 7 on Friday, March 28, at the same venue.
The Scores:
TNT 87 – Hollis-Jefferson 29, Nambatac 23, Oftana 14, Erram 14, Khobuntin 4, Pogoy 3, Heruela 0, Aurin 0, Williams 0.
Barangay Ginebra 83 – Brownlee 22, Thompson 12, Abarrientos 12, J. Aguilar 11, Holt 11, Malonzo 6, Rosario 6, Ahanmisi 3.
Quarters: 22-22, 38-42, 63-62, 87-83.
Source: rappler.com
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