The TNT Tropang 5G did just enough to fend off the NLEX Road Warriors on Sunday, securing a 103-97 win in a tight contest at the Ynares Center in Antipolo. With the win, the Tropa evened their early slate at 1-1 while dealing NLEX its first loss after starting the PBA Commissioner’s Cup with back-to-back wins.
What Happened?
NLEX and TNT engaged in a virtual slugfest right from the opening tip, so much so that the first frame ended in a 21-all tie. NLEX would do enough in the second to enter intermission with a 45-43 lead, which it extended to 72-66 after outscoring TNT, 27-23.
The Tropang 5G, though, scraped away at that lead in the fourth, ultimately tying things up at 79 at the 9:10 mark on a Bol Bol triple. An exchange of leads and ties followed, until Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser hit a trey at just under the two-minute mark to give TNT the lead for good, 94-91, en route to the 103-97 win.
Who Stood Out?
Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser’s stat line wasn’t particularly eye-popping, as he finished with 14 points and 4 rebounds only. But his energy, intensity, and defense were all on point, and his triple down the stretch was huge. Bol also showed out, pouring in a game-high 40 points on top of 15 rebounds and 2 blocks. He also had 10 points in the final quarter to tow TNT back into the game.
NLEX, meanwhile, drew solid games from Cady Lalanne and Robert Bolick. Lalanne tallied 25 points on top of 21 rebounds and 3 blocks, while Berto finished with 21 markers, 4 caroms, and 9 dimes. Schonny Winston and Anthony Semerad also played well, with each chipping in 18 in the loss.
3 Keys to the Game
- Interior scoring. TNT is known for its perimeter sniping, but in this game against NLEX, the Tropa leaned on paint incursions to score 56 of their 103 total points, as the jumpers weren’t falling. The Road Warriors, in contrast, had only 28 points in the paint.
- Points off turnovers. Both TNT and NLEX took good care of the ball, with the former turning it over only 10 times and the latter coughing the ball up just 11 times. However, it was the Tropa that converted these turnovers into points, scoring 19 off the Road Warriors’ 11 giveaways, as opposed to 3 for NLEX.
- Bench play. Both teams got only modest contributions from their respective benches, but the 29 points TNT’s subs scored—BGR accounted for 14—beat out the 13 the NLEX reserves put up. In a six-point win, that difference certainly made a difference.
Next Up for the PBA
Wednesday, March 25, 2026 | Ynares Center Antipolo
Terrafirma Dyip vs. Phoenix Fuel Masters (5:00 p.m.)
San Miguel Beermen vs. Converge FiberXers (7:30 p.m.)
