It took about 42 minutes, but the TNT Tropang 5G ultimately found a way to shake off the Titan Ultra Giant Risers and notch a hard-fought 97-92 win on Saturday at Ynares Center in Montalban. The win moves TNT to 5-2 for joint third with the Meralco Bolts and Barangay Ginebra San Miguel in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup. The loss, on the other hand, drops Titan Ultra to 2-5.
What Happened?
Titan Ultra kept in step with TNT in the first quarter as several Giant Risers got into the scoring column to match Bol Bol’s 15 early points. The Tropa wound up winning the opening frame, 26-24, but lost Calvin Oftana after he was thrown out of the game due to a flagrant 2 infraction when he hit Mark Omega with a closed fist. Titan continued getting contributions from all around in the second canto to eventually finish the half ahead, 50-48.
The game was tight throughout the third as well, even as it became more of a defensive battle compared to the first two quarters. Then, in the fourth, Titan was still ahead 78-73 when TNT finally found some semblance of a rhythm—a 12-0 blast to take control, 85-78. A final push got the Giant Risers to within 95-92 with 44 seconds left. Fran Yu then inexplicably fouled Jayson Castro with 34 seconds remaining, leading to a split and forcing Titan to go for four. Joshua Munzon missed his try, giving the Tropa the win.
Who Stood Out?
Bol Bol carried TNT from the get-go to the final whistle. The South Sudanese big man dropped 50 points on 21-for-34 shooting while adding 17 rebounds, 4 assists, and 6 blocks. Castro had a rather quiet game with 7 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists, but he was calling the shots down the stretch, and his leadership helped the Tropa pull out the win in the end.
Titan, meanwhile, relied on its one-two punch of Michael Gilmore and Joshua Munzon. Gilmore finished with 33 points, 15 boards, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. Munzon, on the other hand, had 21 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals. However, they combined to shoot 22-for-51 overall.
3 Keys to the Game
- Bol Bol. On a night the Tropa struggled, Bol Bol covered for them with a yeoman’s job in front of compatriot and South Sudan Basketball president Luol Deng, who was in attendance in Montalban. Bol simply had his way and kept TNT in the game.
- Endgame poise. With Castro manning the point, the Tropa managed to navigate a tougher-than-expected challenge from Titan with a solid finishing kick. The Blur took the ball, made the right reads, and issued three crucial dimes. He also steadied the ship, so to speak.
- Shot selection. Titan had a shot at pulling off a stunner, but poor shot selection ultimately cost the Giant Risers the game. To be fair, the Tropa had questionable shot selection, too, but Titan just had too many of them, especially between Munzon and Gilmore.
Next Up for the PBA
Sunday, April 19, 2026 | Ynares Center – Antipolo
NLEX Road Warriors vs. San Miguel Beermen (5:15 p.m.)
Magnolia Hotshots vs. Converge FiberXers (7:30 p.m.)
