FILE–TNT Tropang Giga import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. -EASL PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines–TNT saw its campaign within the East Asia Super League come to an end with an 88-76 home loss to South Korean side Anyang Jung Kwan Jang on Wednesday at Philsports Arena in Pasig City.
Despite strong efforts from import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson in his return from injury, the Tropang Giga couldn’t overhaul an early deficit and missed out on a spot within the season’s Final 4 after ending Group A with a 1-5 record.
The Korean Basketball League club emerged because the second team to achieve the semis, joining the Japan’s B.League outfit Chiba Jets who won all six matches.
Robert Carter led the way in which for Anyang, champions of last 12 months’s EASL Champions Week, with 23 points while Jamil Wilson debuted with 15 after his PBA Commissioner’s Cup stint for Converge ended recently.
Hollis-Jefferson finished with a game-high 33 points after being sidelined for greater than a month attributable to a collision against the Taipei Fubon Braves.
His older brother Rahlir added 20 for the Tropang Giga, who were missing Commissioner’s Cup top scorer Calvin Oftana.
TNT did cut an 18-point first half deficit all the way down to five, 78-73, within the fourth on a 3 by Ryan Reyes, but Anyang was in a position to preserve the victory in the long run.
A 3 by Seongwon Choi, a basket by Jihoon Park and a fadeaway by Wilson brought Anyang back in double digit at 85-73, almost two minutes left in the competition.
Anyang’s Filipino import Rhenz Abando was within the venue but in street clothes as he’s still covering from a scary fall in a KBL game few weeks back.
