The TNT Tropang 5G moved a win away from another Finals stint after taking down the Meralco Bolts, 103-95, on Friday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. With the win, TNT can seal its spot in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup in Sunday’s Game 6.
What Happened?
With every starter contributing, TNT built an early 22-13 lead in the opening frame before a late push by Meralco made it 22-19 after one. The Bolts picked up from where they left off in the first and moved ahead in the latter stages of the second, building as much as a 40-35 lead before settling for a 42-41 advantage heading into halftime.
Scoring then picked up in the third canto, with Chris McCullough, Jordan Heading, and RR Pogoy combining for 28 of TNT’s 35 points. Meralco scored 30 of its own but entered the fourth down, 76-72. Game 5 continued to be tight up until the 7:51 mark, when Patrick Gardner tied things up at 83-83. But an 11-0 TNT run—three free throws by Heading and eight from McCullough—proved to be the difference‑maker as the Bolts couldn’t recover anymore.
Who Stood Out?
McCullough promised things would get scary once he got going, and he certainly looked scary good on Friday, firing 42 points and looking unstoppable at times. Heading backed him up, playing arguably his best game of the Commissioner’s Cup on his way to a 22-point, 6-assist outing. Pogoy was solid as well, putting up 16 points and 3 rebounds.
Meralco, on the other hand, drew a solid game from Gardner, who finished with 25 points on top of 12 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. Chris Banchero, Jave Mocon, and Aaron Black provided some spark off the Meralco bench, combining for 33 as each got into double figures.
3 Keys to the Game
- CMac. McCullough, in only his second game back, looked every bit as unstoppable as Bol Bol. He was too tall for Mocon and Cliff Hodge and too quick for Gardner. His 12 points in the third helped TNT retake the lead, while his 12 points down the stretch of the fourth helped seal Game 5.
- Starter play. The five of McCullough, Heading, Pogoy, Calvin Oftana, and Brandon Ganuelas‑Rosser got the Tropa off to a great start, and each had his moment in the next quarter. CMac and Heading, in particular, were superb in the second half. In all, TNT’s starters scored 76 as they outplayed Meralco’s starting unit, which could only muster 53.
- Execution. Against most teams, Meralco’s effort would’ve been enough to get the win. But not against TNT, whose execution was so on‑point that they kept getting good shot after good shot. At times, it looked like the Bolts simply couldn’t stop the Tropa.
Next Up for the PBA
Sunday, 31 May 2026 | Ynares Center Antipolo
Barangay Ginebra San Miguel vs. Rain or Shine Elasto Painters (5:15 p.m.)
TNT Tropang 5G vs. Meralco Bolts (7:30 p.m.)
