Gryann Mendoza canned a long deuce from the right wing to help TNT defeat Purefoods, 21-19, and capture the title in the PBA 3x3 Third Conference Grand Finals on Sunday at the Robinson’s Place Manila.
Given enough space to launch a jumper, the left-handed Mendoza rose up and rattled home the long jumper that gave TNT the victory that capped off their remarkable comeback in the hotly contested finals match. The win allowed TNT to bring home not just the title but also the whopping cash prize of P750,000.
Things looked bleak for the Tropang Giga as they trailed by as much as five and were still facing a 15-19 deficit with just a minute left. But TNT rallied and tied the game at 19-all off of two driving buckets by Mendoza and two free-throws by Samboy de Leon.
TNT even got numerous chances at grabbing the victory in regulation, but Almond Vosotros, Mendoza, and de Leon flubbed their shots. That set the stage for Mendoza to come up with his heroic game-winning shot. Mendoza led TNT with eight points, while Vosotros added five. Flores and De Leon added four each.
Purefoods settled for the runner-up trophy and the P250,000 cash prize.
Meanwhile, the Sista Super Sealers won third-place honors with a 21-20 win over San Miguel. Sista bagged the P100,000 prize money for third place.