TNT in do-or-die EASL tiff

MANILA, Philippines — There’s a slim chance that TNT could advance to the EASL Final Four where a $1 million prize awaits the champion but interim head coach Jojo Lastimosa said yesterday it’s a tough ride that will mean beating the Anyang Jung Kwan Jang Red Boosters at the PhilSports Arena tonight and the Taipei Fubon Braves defeating the same Korean squad on Feb. 7 to forge a triple tie for second place.

Anyang is now second with a 2-2 record in Group A behind unbeaten Chiba (6-0). TNT and Fubon are tied for third at 1-4. If TNT beats Anyang and Anyang loses to Fubon, the Tropa can join Chiba as the top two Group A qualifiers to the Final Four only with a superior quotient. At the moment, Anyang is +23, TNT +1 and Fubon -23 in a three-way comparison.

Lastimosa said defeating Anyang is “doable but hard to do, not having a healthy Jayson (Castro) and a 100 percent Rondae (Hollis-Jefferson).” Castro is nursing an injury while Kelly Williams and Calvin Oftana will sit out the game to rest. “Definitely, we’re preparing hard,” said Lastimosa who added that Hollis-Jefferson will pair with brother Rahlir and Roger Pogoy will make his EASL debut.

Anyang is expected to suit up 6-9 Robert Carter and former Converge import Jamil Wilson against TNT. Carter, 29, played for Golden State and Denver in the NBA Summer League. Wilson, 33, averaged 7.0 points and 18.3 minutes in 15 games for the LA Clippers in the 2017-18 NBA season. The top Korean scorer is 5-11 guard Seongwon Choi who’s averaging 13.8 points and shooting 69.2 percent from beyond the arc.

“Playing in the EASL has been an incredible journey for TNT,” said Lastimosa. “The level of competition has pushed us to elevate our game. Our players have developed a stronger basketball IQ, our team chemistry has improved and our desire to succeed on the international level has never been higher. Regardless of the outcome, this season has been a catalyst for our development and we’ll continue to build on this foundation for the future of TNT basketball.”