TNT's Erram says he's seeking professional help amid PBA finals antics

MANILA, Philippines – In Game 5 of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals last Sunday, March 23, tensions rose between TNT Tropang Giga head coach Chot Reyes and big man Poy Erram.

In the middle of a Barangay Ginebra run, Reyes seemed to call the attention of Erram during a timeout, leading the center to throw his towel on the floor.

This did not sit well with the veteran mentor, as he also bursted out on the big man, walking away from the huddle. 

TNT lost the game and faced a daunting 2-3 finals series deficit. 

But in Game 6 Wednesday, March 26, the Tropang Giga dug deep and relied on the spark provided by Erram to tie the series at three games apiece.

After the 87-83 win by TNT, Erram admitted that he wanted to make up for his outbursts, as he acknowledged that he has “been a distraction to the team.” 

“Everyone knows it. Gusto ko lang bumawi sa team,” he said. 

Speaking to reporters following the game, Erram said that at times, he is affected by what was being said on the court. 

“Syempre ang hirap e lalo na ang daming naririnig sa court. Kahit sabihin ko hindi nakakaapekto, may mga time talaga na nakakaapekto. Yun last game talaga naapektuhan ako,” he said. 

He bared that he had been struggling in the wake of his father’s death, and that he is seeking help. 

“Kailangan ko talaga ng tulong e. Moving forward for my career, if I still want to play pa. Para maliwanagan ulit ako at para maging ok yun family ko,” he said.

“But right now ang nakakatulong sa akin ang family ko, teammates ko at si Lord. Kasi siya lang talaga nakakintindi sa akin besides sa family ko. Sa Kaniya ako kumakapit,” Erram responded on when he will be able to start seeking help.

He scored 10 points in the final quarter of Game 6 and had a crucial play down the stretch, where he tipped the ball out to the hands of import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson after missed free throws, leading to the dagger freebies.

Erram finished with 14 points and six rebounds.

Reyes, for his part, said that they did not talk about the emotional outburst that happened in Game 5,

“We had our regular team meeting yesterday. We did not need to address it because that’s the level of trust in our team. That's our depth. And if we get on each other’s nerves, magsigawan kami,” the veteran mentor told reporters.

“E mga magkakapatid nga, mga magkakapamilya nagkakasigawan, nag-aaway. But that does not mean they’re going to break up as a family right,” he added. 

The coach stressed that he just focused on the task at hand, which was to force the winner-take-all Game 7. 

“Kung ano man yun usap-usapan sa labas, that has very little value to us.”  

And while they did not talk about the incident, Reyes stressed that they underscored Erram’s importance to the team. 

“We just told Poy to focus on shutting off the noise. Yun ang pinaka-importante sa kaniya. I told him of all our players in the series, he was the one with the highest plus minus. In effort charge, pinakamataas si Poy, but we need him on the floor.” 

TNT also benefited from Reyes giving his players a one-day off from practice last Monday. 

“Sometimes it’s a good idea to step back. I felt that the pressure was getting to us,” Reyes added. 

The do-or-die Game 7 is on Friday, 7:30 p.m., at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. – Ravi Tan, intern