The TNT Tropang 5G tied the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals on Friday with a heart-stopping 101-94 victory at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
What Happened?
No doubt smarting from their Game 1 defeat, TNT stormed out of the gate in Game 2, erecting an early 27-12 lead after one behind some hot shooting and unforgiving defense. Ginebra began to find some semblance of rhythm in the second, scoring 21 points but giving up 21 to the Tropa, who entered halftime with a 48-33 cushion.
Ginebra opened the third with a three, but it was TNT that asserted its will, outscoring the Gin Kings, 30-26, to extend the lead to 78-59 going into the final frame. The fourth quarter appeared to be a formality as Tim Cone started five bench players, ostensibly a sign of waving the white flag.
Those bench players, though, gradually ate away at TNT’s lead, with a seven-point swing—a four-pointer and a trey—by Jeremiah Gray sparking that familiar “HI-NE-BRA!” chant. Ginebra got to within 98-94 with Justin Brownlee and RJ Abarrientos fielded back in, but TNT made just enough plays down the stretch to pull out the victory.
Who Stood Out?
TNT got solid contributions from everywhere, but it was Calvin Oftana who led the way. The Gilas Pilipinas mainstay erupted for 31 points on top of 10 rebounds and made key plays seemingly every time Ginebra was plotting a comeback. Jordan Heading added 14 points and 5 assists, along with a huge corner triple down the stretch to help quell the Gin Kings’ uprising.
While it wasn’t his best game, Abarrientos still found a way, coming alive in the fourth after being contained somewhat by Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser and Chris McCullough, who took turns being the primary defenders of the reigning Rookie of the Year. Jeremiah Gray, John Abis, and Isaac Go also stepped up as they led Ginebra’s fourth-quarter rally. Gray had 13, Go added 10, and Abis had 4.
3 Keys to the Game
- Hot start. TNT stormed out of the gates and took it to Ginebra right away, and that early 15-point lead proved to be an omen of things to come. Later on, the Tropa needed every bit of that early cushion to fend off Ginebra’s late comeback bid.
- Shooting. The disparity in shooting percentage—47.8% for TNT to 44.0% for Ginebra—isn’t necessarily that large. But it was in the first three quarters, where TNT shot over 50% overall while holding Ginebra to sub-40% shooting. A lot of it was due to the Tropa’s stifling defense, but part of it was the Gin Kings just missing, including even layups.
- Championship composure. Much like Ginebra averted a complete collapse in Game 1, TNT did too in Game 2. And the Tropa did so with some timely shot-making and good defense when it mattered.
Next Up for the PBA
Saturday, June 7, 2026 | SM Mall of Asia Arena
Barangay Ginebra San Miguel vs. TNT Tropang 5G (7:30 p.m.)
