PBA: How an open forum with Bol Bol Sparked TNT's playoff turnaround

PBA Commissioner’s Cup reigning champion TNT looked like a team searching for answers entering the playoffs, but an open forum with import Bol Bol and the team’s local players may have provided exactly that.

The Tropang 5G entered the quarterfinals as the No. 8 seed, leaving them with the daunting task of taking down top-seeded NLEX Road Warriors, which carried a twice-to-beat advantage.

It was a big ask, but TNT was more than willing to embrace the challenge head-on despite the odds stacked against it.

Thanks to a candid talk with Bol before the playoffs, the Tropang 5G turned things around and found themselves in the semifinals.

“Nag-usap kami as a team, walang viewing. Nag-open forum kami kung anong problema internally. In-open up namin kung ano ‘yung problema namin kay Bol, kung ano ‘yung pananaw niya sa team, kung gusto niya ba kami as a team, or kung gusto namin siya sa team,” Calvin Oftana said on Saturday at the Ynares Center Antipolo.

“Siyempre, you need to open up yourself sa kanya and siya naman, ang maganda naman kay Bol, in-accept niya ’yun. Doon kami nagkasundo lahat and happy kami sa pinapakita ni Bol. It’s up for us mga locals to help him out para makayod namin ’to.”

TNT had a shaky elimination-round campaign, losing four of its last five games, including three straight defeats against Phoenix Fuel Masters, Magnolia Hotshots, and Barangay Ginebra San Miguel to close out the preliminaries at 6-6.

That rough stretch raised doubts about whether this Tropang 5G squad had enough to pull off an upset against an NLEX side bannered by an inspired Robert Bolick, dominant import Cady Lalanne, and an emerging young core composed of LJay Gonzales, JB Bahio, and Schonny Winston.

“Sinabi lang namin na, ‘Bol, kailangan mo ipasa rin minsan,’” Oftana said in jest.

“Sinabihan talaga namin kasi sabi nga ni coach na he needs to trust his locals kasi we’ve been there a few times na sa semis and finals. Naniwala naman siya, and us locals, kailangan i-prove namin sa kanya na tama ’yung mga sinabi ng coaches at mga sinabi namin sa kanya.”

Eventually, TNT overcame NLEX twice after escaping with a 96-93 win in the quarterfinals opener before pulling off a 118-112 victory to oust the Road Warriors and set up a semifinal clash with Meralco Bolts.

Bol starred in both games, but the former NBA player made sure to involve his teammates. In Game 1, Bol poured in 34 points and grabbed 14 rebounds before dropping 35 points, 13 boards, and two blocks in the closeout game.

—JKC, GMA News