Ginebra forces Game 7, TNT keeps grand slam dream alive
The TNT Tropang 5G are back in the Finals—and the grand slam dream is still alive.
TNT powered past the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, 116-95, in Game 6 of their PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup semifinals on Sunday, July 6, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. With the win, they secured their third consecutive Finals appearance and stayed on course for what could be the franchise’s first-ever grand slam.
Jordan Heading led the charge, finishing with 29 points, three rebounds, four assists, and two steals in a statement performance that helped TNT close out the series, 4-2.
Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser added 17 markers, five rebounds, two assists, and three blocks in a complete two-way showing. Glenn Khobuntin posted a double-double of 16 points and 12 rebounds, while Kim Aurin and Calvin Oftana chipped in 13 and 12 points, respectively.
“All we wanted was to give ourselves a chance… these guys—they don’t know the meaning of quit,” said TNT head coach Chot Reyes, recalling the team’s early 0-3 start in the conference and their climb back into title contention.
On the Rain or Shine side, Caelan Tiongson dropped a game-high 30 points alongside six rebounds and an assist. Andrei Caracut and Adrian Nocum contributed 15 and 11, but the Elasto Painters had no answers for TNT’s late surge, especially during a 14-2 blast sparked by Heading and Ganuelas-Rosser in the final frame.
Tenorio Magic Sends Ginebra to Game 7
Over in the other semifinals bracket, LA Tenorio turned back the clock and nailed the biggest shot of Ginebra’s season—a game-winning triple that lifted the Gin Kings to a gritty 88-87 win over the San Miguel Beermen in Game 6.
The veteran guard, playing less than 10 minutes, finished with a perfect 3-of-3 clip from long distance and a +11 efficiency rating. His late-game heroics preserved Ginebra’s bid for another Finals appearance and extended the series to a do-or-die Game 7.
“Miracles do happen,” said head coach Tim Cone, who praised Tenorio’s leadership down the stretch. “More than the big shot, he kept us in the game.”
Scottie Thompson tallied 17 points, 16 rebounds, eight assists, and a steal in a classic all-around effort, while Japeth Aguilar added 16 points, four rebounds, and a block. RJ Abarrientos, Stephen Holt, and Troy Rosario also scored 12 each in the win.
The Beermen led for most of the game, taking a 54-45 halftime lead behind strong showings from June Mar Fajardo and CJ Perez. But Ginebra’s trademark resilience took over in the second half, outscoring SMB 43-33 to force a Game 7.
Fajardo had 21 points and 16 rebounds, with five assists and a block. Perez added 15 points, four assists, two rebounds, a steal, and a block. Don Trollano and Rodney Brondial finished with 13 and 12, respectively.
With 3.1 seconds left, San Miguel had a shot to win it. The ball went to Perez, but his contested four-point attempt missed, sealing Ginebra’s comeback win.
The Stage Is Set
TNT now waits for the winner of Game 7 between San Miguel and Ginebra, set for Wednesday, July 9, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
A Ginebra-TNT trilogy or a blockbuster clash between TNT and San Miguel—the Finals stage will be nothing short of electric.
Similar news
The San Miguel Beermen have tied the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup Finals at 1-1 after defeating the TNT Tropang 5G, 98-92, in Game 2 on Wednesday, July 16, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Don Trollano delivered a breakout performance off the bench, tallying 22 points on an efficient 10-of-16 shooting from the floor. He also grabbed six rebounds and handed out an assist, leading San Miguel's charge to equalize the series.
June Mar Fajardo provided solid support with 17 markers, nine boards, three dimes, and one steal. Mo Tautuaa also stepped up, sealing the win with a wide-open layup to close the game without any controversy. He ended with 16 points and four rebounds.
Jeron Teng made his presence felt with 10 markers—all in the first half—while assistant playing coach Chris Ross showcased his trademark leadership and defensive intensity, wrapping up the game with seven points, four rebounds, seven assists, and four steals.
The Beermen started strong with a 23-19 lead in the first quarter, then widened the gap with a 28-20 second period to take a 51-39 advantage at the half. However, TNT responded with a 35-24 third-quarter run to trim SMB’s lead to just one, 75-74, entering the fourth and final quarter.
For TNT, Calvin Oftana kept his team in the hunt with 23 points, seven rebounds, one assist, and one steal. He was followed by Jordan Heading with 15 markers, two boards, and one deflection.
Tropang 5G big men Kelly Williams and Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser also scored in double figures with 11 and 10 points, respectively. Meanwhile, Poy Erram finished with six points in 15 minutes of action before leaving the game due to a sprained ankle.
With the series now tied, both teams look to gain the upper hand in Game 3 on Friday, July 18, at 7:30 PM at the Big Dome.
After a close Game 1 of the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup Finals — marred by the “basket interference” controversy — protagonists San Miguel Beermen and TNT Tropang 5G now focus on winning Game 2.
San Miguel, the winningest franchise in PBA history, will try to tie the series at 1-1 while moving past their opening game loss, which was clouded by the PBA technical committee’s review of Mo Tautuaa’s dunk.
They will once again bank on the dominance of eight-time MVP June Mar Fajardo, along with CJ Perez and the rest of the squad, to get the equalizer.
On the other side, TNT — eyeing the first grand slam in franchise history — will again lean on RR Pogoy, who returned in Game 1 after missing the latter part of the semifinals. Pogoy was named Best Player of the Game after finishing with 24 points, including 3-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc and a perfect 2-of-2 from the four-point line. He even knocked down a buzzer-beater before halftime to give TNT a 61-41 lead after leading just 28-22 at the end of the first quarter.
In that game, SMB tried to erase the 24-point deficit but still trailed by 19 at the end of the third period.
In the fourth and final canto, the Beermen mounted a comeback and even briefly took the lead. There was an exchange of three-pointers between Chris Ross and Pogoy at the end game before a jump ball was called — which then led to the controversial review.
TNT will also continue to rely on the brilliance of Jordan Heading and Calvin Oftana, along with their frontcourt unit of Poy Erram, Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser, and 2007–08 MVP Kelly Williams to contain Fajardo’s impact.
Now that both teams have moved on from their first encounter, the question is: who wants it more heading into Game 2, set later tonight — July 16, 7:30 PM — at the Smart Araneta Coliseum?
San Miguel Beermen made a statement in Game 4 of the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup semifinals, against Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, 107-82, on Wednesday night at the Mall of Asia Arena to even the best-of-seven series at 2-2.
CJ Perez spearheaded the charge with a near-complete performance, tallying 19 points, five rebounds, seven assists, a steal, and a block in almost 35 minutes of action. His energy sparked a game-changing 17-0 run in the fourth quarter that broke the game wide open for the Beermen.
Juami Tiongson added 14 points, while June Mar Fajardo turned in another monster game with 12 markers, a game-high 19 boards, three dimes, two deflections, and a rejection.
San Miguel’s well-balanced offense saw five players score in double figures, including Jericho Cruz and Rodney Brondial with 12 apiece, and Don Trollano who chipped in 11.
Game 5 is set for Friday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, with both powerhouse squads looking to seize control of the series and inch closer to a Finals berth.