The TNT Tropang 5G drew first blood in their PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinals series, holding off the Meralco Bolts for a 94-89 win at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.
What Happened?
TNT started out strong with Bol Bol making shots, sharing the ball, and the locals doing some early work. A six-point swing by Jordan Heading staked the Tropa to a 25-17 lead before settling for a 28-21 lead after one. The Bolts bounced back somewhat in the second canto behind Marvin Jones and Chris Newsome to cut the TNT lead to 53-49 before intermission.
CJ Cansino briefly gave Meralco back the lead early in the third with a trey, setting up a war of attrition for the next 12 minutes. The third frame turned into a defensive battle, with the Bolts ultimately winning, 20-16, to tie the game at 69 going into the fourth. Meralco then scored the first four points of the fourth to grab a four-point lead, only for TNT to counter with a 19-4 run to zoom ahead, 88-77. That big run proved to be the difference.
Who Stood Out?
Bol completely took over for TNT—and not just with his scoring. Sure, he fired a game-high 37 points on 15-for-24 shooting, but he also grabbed 11 rebounds, dished out a conference-high 8 assists, and blocked 6 shots in an all-around masterclass. He didn’t do it alone, either. RR Pogoy continued his resurgence with 21 points and 9 rebounds, while Jordan Heading finally broke out with 16 markers off the bench on 6-for-9 shooting.
Meralco’s Marvin Jones, on the other hand, missed his first seven shots but recovered nicely to top-score for the Bolts with 22 points on top of 14 caroms. Bong Quinto added 17 off the Meralco bench, but the two’s overall production couldn’t match Bol’s alone.
3 Keys to the Game
- Bol doing it all. Bol scoring the ball isn’t surprising. That he did everything else with equal zeal only elevated TNT. Bol really did it all, from getting his teammates great looks to shutting down the paint with his size. Then, he took over late, snuffing out any chance of a Meralco uprising.
- Local support. For the third straight game, Bol didn’t have to carry the scoring burden because the locals stepped up once again. Pogoy led the way in this regard with his 21 points on 10-for-17 shooting as he posted up Meralco’s smaller guards. Oftana was the third starter in double figures with 14. Heading then came alive, scoring 16 off the TNT bench.
- Fourth-quarter breakdown. The Bolts, early in the fourth, looked poised for a Game 1 breakthrough. Then, one of those Meralco scoring droughts happened. That proved to be the nail in the coffin as TNT took full advantage, turning a 73-69 deficit into an 88-77 cushion with time down to four minutes and change.
Next Up for the PBA
Friday, May 22, 2026 | Mall of Asia Arena
Barangay Ginebra San Miguel vs. Rain or Shine Elasto Painters (5:15 p.m.)
TNT Tropang 5G vs. Meralco Bolts (7:30 p.m.)
