The TNT Tropang 5G and Barangay Ginebra San Miguel have met five times in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup—once in the eliminations and four times so far in these Finals. Ginebra at the moment has the advantage in wins, 3‑2, but the numbers say TNT has had the edge in this bitter head‑to‑head between two storied franchises.
Take a look:
Points Per Game: 100.8 to 99.0
It isn’t much, but TNT has outscored Ginebra, 100.8 to 99.0, over the course of five games. That one‑point difference might seem infinitesimal, but between two evenly matched teams, one point is still an advantage.
Three‑Point Percentage: 39.2% to 35.9%
The Tropa and Gin Kings are among the PBA teams heavily reliant on the trey ball, with the barangay embracing it a lot more, in particular, this conference. Unsurprisingly, Ginebra is shooting 29 threes on average in five games against TNT, while the Tropa are attempting 25. However, the latter is shooting nearly four percentage points higher—39.2%—than Ginebra’s 35.9%, with the conversions nearly identical (10.4 makes for Ginebra, 9.8 for TNT).
Field Goal Percentage: 47.4% to 45.3%
TNT’s shooting advantage extends to overall shooting, as the Tropa make 47.4% of their shots compared to the 45.3% Ginebra makes. What’s unique about this metric is that leaguewide, the Gin Kings are second in field goal percentage, shooting 47.4% overall, while TNT is third at 45.6%. This means that when these very two teams meet, the roles are reversed, with the latter shooting better than the former. And, for the most part, this should be a credit to the Tropang 5G’s usually stingy defense.
Assists: 23.0 to 16.8
Both teams pride themselves on execution and ball movement, with Ginebra, in particular, almost always in the top five in assists per game. The Tropa are a different case, as they are dead last in assists in the tournament, largely because their offense for the most part had revolved around Bol Bol’s dynamic scoring. But, against Ginebra, TNT is moving the ball like the TNT of old, in part because Chris McCullough is helping facilitate a more free‑flowing, democratic offensive attack. Meaning, this advantage in assists is mostly happening in the Finals.
Numbers Tell Just Part of the Story
Of course, there’s a time to throw all these numbers out the window, and the back end of this championship series might be it. Even so, these very same numbers could hint at what potentially could happen when TNT and Ginebra go to war for a sixth time this conference in Game 5 later today.
Tip‑off is at 7:30 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, with the winner getting on the proverbial hill.
