The TNT Tropang 5G tied the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals at 2 games apiece with a 106-98 win over Barangay Ginebra San Miguel on Friday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
What Happened?
For a change, no team roared out of the gate this time and erected a big lead. Ginebra, led by Best Import of the Conference Justin Brownlee and Best Player of the Conference RJ Abarrientos, won the opening frame, 21-16. TNT punched back in the second, outgunning the Gin Kings, 34-32, in a high-scoring end to the first half.
Ginebra was still ahead, 63-62, at the 7:46 mark of the third when the Tropa made their move, ending the quarter on a 12-5 burst to build a 75-68 lead heading into the final canto. TNT built the game’s first double-digit lead with the first two baskets of the fourth, before extending that cushion to as much as 88-70. Ginebra mounted mini-runs to slice into the lead, bringing it down to 12 first and then 10 before getting to within 104-98 with just 31 seconds left. But time wasn’t on Ginebra’s side, and TNT ran away with Game 4.
Who Stood Out?
Jordan Heading starred for TNT all game long, finishing with a team-high 29 points on top of 6 rebounds and 8 assists. Chris McCullough backed him up with 24 points, 14 rebounds, 5 assists, and 13 fourth-quarter points.
Ginebra, on the other hand, was led by Brownlee’s game-high 32 points that included a pair of four-pointers in the final frame. He also had 5 rebounds and 5 assists on the night he won his fourth Best Import plum. Abarrientos, meanwhile, added 21 points, but only 4 came in the second half.
3 Keys to the Game
- Defense. The final numbers don’t show it, but TNT put on a defensive masterclass, particularly in the second half. The Tropa trapped Ginebra on screen-and-rolls and got the ball away from Abarrientos, while also swarming the rest of the Gin Kings. As a result, baskets were hard to come by for the barangay in the second half.
- High PNR. Ginebra just had no answer for TNT’s high pick-and-roll, whether it was between Heading or McCullough, or Jayson Castro and CMac, or Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser. This was the Tropa’s bread-and-butter in Game 4, and they got lots of points and good looks from it.
- Rebounding. In all, TNT just played with more energy and urgency, and this was apparent in the rebounding numbers, where the Tropa had 47 caroms to Ginebra’s 31. TNT also had a 16-7 advantage in offensive rebounds, which they turned into an 8-0 cushion in second-chance points.
Next Up for the PBA
Friday, June 12, 2026 | Smart Araneta Coliseum
Barangay Ginebra San Miguel vs. TNT Tropang 5G (7:30 p.m.)
