The TNT Tropang 5G delivered in the clutch, pulling away for a 97-89 victory in Game 6 to punch their ticket back to the Finals. Meanwhile, the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel trailed by as much as 7 in the fourth quarter but held their ground and escaped with an 88-87 win over the San Miguel Beermen, tying the series at 3-3 in the PBA Philippine Cup Semifinals on July 6.
Top Performers of the Day:
Earl Scottie Thompson (GIN PG) 17 PTS | 16 REB | 8 AST | 51.2 FPS
Thompson had some struggles in the series due to a hamstring injury, including recording 0 rebounds in Game 4 and 0 assists in Game 5. But he flipped the script in Game 6, posting his best numbers in both categories—along with his highest scoring performance this playoffs.
June Mar Fajardo (SMB C) 21 PTS | 16 REB | 5 AST | 47.7 FPS
Fajardo opened the game by dominating the paint, posting 9 points and 7 rebounds in the first quarter alone. He was tough to stop, shooting 8-for-13 from the field and recording his second 20-point game of the playoffs. He has also logged at least 45 fantasy points in each of the last three games.
Jordan Timothy Heading (TNT PG) 29 PTS | 3 REB | 4 AST | 42.6 FPS
Heading had a rough performance in Game 5, but responded strongly in Game 6, scoring 18 points in the second half. This marked his ninth game with at least 20 points in the last two conferences.
Caelan Todd Tiongson (ROS SF) 30 PTS | 6 REB | 1 AST | 36.7 FPS
Tiongson wasn’t as impactful in Game 5 after averaging 15 points over the first four games of the series. But he came out firing in Game 6, scoring 11 in the first quarter and adding 11 more in the fourth to cap off a career-best scoring performance on an efficient 10-for-15 shooting.
Glenn Khobuntin (TNT PF) 16 PTS | 12 REB | 1 STL | 34.9 FPS
Khobuntin has taken on a bigger role with the team’s injury problems, averaging 15 points on an efficient 15-for-25 shooting from two over the last three games. He was also a force in the interior in Game 6, posting his conference high in rebounding.
Brandon Arnell Ganuelas-Rosser (TNT PF) 17 PTS | 5 REB | 3 BLK | 32.0 FPS
BGR struggled to make an impact in Game 5 but bounced back strong. He shined on both ends, recording 3 blocks in the first quarter alone and finishing with an efficient 6-for-8 shooting on two-point attempts.
John Rodney Brondial (SMB PF) 12 PTS | 12 REB | 1 STL | 30.4 FPS
Brondial made his presence felt with his best performance of the series. He was a major factor in the fourth quarter, scoring 6 points and grabbing 8 rebounds to finish with his fourth double-double of the conference.
Rhon Jay Abarrientos (GIN PG) 12 PTS | 3 REB | 7 AST | 26.1 FPS
RJ continues to have a difficult time on offense and has gone 0-for-11 from three in the last three games.
Lewis Alfred Tenorio (GIN PG) 11 PTS | 2 REB | 2 AST | 15.4 FPS
Tenorio stepped up when the team needed him the most, scoring all of his 11 points in the fourth quarter, including his game-winning three-pointer. He shot 4-for-5 from the field and 3-for-3 from deep.
Biggest Disappointment of the Day:
Adrian Clarence Nocum (ROS SG) 11 PTS | 1 REB | 3 AST
Nocum provided a good spark off the bench in the second quarter, but his impact was limited after struggling again with fouls and turnovers, totalling 12 and 10 in the last three games.
