The battle for the PBA Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup crown has quickly turned into a high-stakes slugfest, with defending champion TNT Tropang 5G and Barangay Ginebra locked in a tense 1-1 deadlock heading into a crucial Game 3 on Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
After splitting the first two games before crowds exceeding 11,000, both teams now enter what has now become a best-of-five series, with momentum swinging sharply after TNT’s emphatic 101-94 response in Game 2.
The Tropang 5G erased memories of their sluggish Game 1 defeat by storming out of the gates behind the explosive tandem of import Chris McCullough and Calvin Oftana. The duo combined for 16 first-quarter points as TNT seized control early, building a double-digit advantage that eventually ballooned to 22 points.
“We were very aggressive from the start. Our guys hit big shots, and that’s it, we just have to stay aggressive,” McCullough said.
Unlike in the opener, when TNT fell behind by as many as 18 points, Chot Reyes’ squad dictated the pace from the opening tip and never trailed. Oftana spearheaded the attack with a season-high 31 points, while McCullough delivered an expected superb performance with a dominant double-double of 19 points and 16 rebounds.
Jordan Heading, Rey Nambatac, RR Pogoy, and Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser also did their share in TNT’s balanced offensive that kept Ginebra at bay despite a furious late fightback.
The Gin Kings almost made it another dramatic comeback by slashing TNT’s lead and was only four points away from reclaiming the lead behind the heroics of Ginebra mainstay import Justin Brownlee and their trademark never-say-die spirit. But TNT managed to hold the fort by delivering dagger shots and free throws secure the equalizer.
“It’s basketball. Teams are going to make a run,” McCullough said. “It’s inevitable. But we got the win, I’m happy we got the win. Our guys hit big shots, we finished it out.”
Reyes stressed that protecting leads against Ginebra remains one of the toughest challenges in Philippine basketball.
“It’s really about not relaxing when you’re up against Ginebra,” Reyes said. “They’re NSD for a reason.”
While TNT celebrated the bounce-back victory, Game 2 also sparked controversy.
Ginebra coach Tim Cone openly criticized the officiating crew after his team attempted just 10 free throws compared to TNT’s 25. The Gin Kings were also assessed 24 fouls against TNT’s 16.
“We didn’t get a break from the referees,” Cone said. “I usually don’t complain, but tonight I felt the crew was not a good crew.”
Still, the league’s winningest coach admitted the loss was rooted in Ginebra’s poor start.
“That came down to the fact that we just didn’t show up,” Cone said, noting his team’s struggles to generate offense early in the contest.
With emotions rising and the series tightening, both teams know Game 3 could set the tone for the remainder of the Finals.
For TNT, the formula is clear: maintain its aggressive mindset, dominate the boards, and continue the collective defense that fueled its Game 2 triumph.
“Just the same thing — rebound, rebound a little more. Play collective team defense and hit our shots, be aggressive,” McCullough said.
For Ginebra, the challenge is equally urgent: respond with the intensity that was missing in Game 2 and regain the edge that delivered a thrilling 102-100 victory in the series opener.
One game apiece. A championship hanging in the balance. And with tensions simmering on and off the court, the stage is set for another dramatic chapter in a Finals series already living up to its heavyweight billing.