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Almost.
Chot Reyes and TNT once again fell short of making history after their quest for a Grand Slam came to a halt in Game 6 of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals at the hands of San Miguel.
But as close as Reyes to the coveted triple crown, the veteran mentor stressed he wouldn’t be losing sleep over another missed Grand Slam.
“I have absolutely no regrets. Like I said at the start of the series, when I coach, I never coach for the grand slam. I'd rather almost have it than not get there. Okay na sa akin yun,” said Reyes after TNT’s 107-96 loss.
It was the second time that Reyes and TNT came so close at completing the treble of championships in the PBA. The first was way back 2011 when the team won the Philippine Cup and Commissioner’s Cup but lost in the Governors’ Cup despite going all the way to the Finals.
Interestingly, just like this season’s Philippine Cup, TNT’s Grand Slam bid ended at the hands of the San Miguel franchise then carrying the banner of the Petron Blaze Boosters.
“Palagi akong muntik-muntik, okay na sakin yun. I'm sure there are 10 other coaches in the league who would want to be in my position, right? Okay na sakin yun, mamuntik-muntik. At least, umaabot ako,” he added.
Throughout history only four teams have completed the rare feat – Crispa Redmanizers twice in 1976 and 1983, the San Miguel Beermen in 1989, Alaska Milkmen in 1996, and San Mig Coffee Mixers in 2014. Ten teams came close but failed including the two tries from TNT.
For Reyes, being in the position to get a Grand Slam is already a feat in itself as he believes it’s now harder to win the three championships considering that the league is now bigger.
“There's a reason why it’s hard to make a Grand Slam now. Kasi twelve, eleven teams yung dadaanan mo. I don't know if anyone has realized that,” said Reyes.
“Dati yung mga nag-Grand Slam, eight teams lang. I don't know kung mayroon na nag-grand slam na ten teams. Ito, twelve teams,” he added.
Larger number of teams meant more games to play, which in turn, requires more durability and endurance for teams to play high-level basketball all-season long. TNT, for one, reset the most number of games played in a season at 75 games.
“I told the players, hindi biro yung ginawa natin. Hindi biro yung ginawa natin na tatlong finals tayo. There's absolutely no bitterness in my heart. Like we said, time for the players to rest. 75 games. 75 games is no joke,” he said.
