Defending champions TNT Tropang 5G secured another chance at glory as the Chot Reyes-mentored squad booked a place in the PBA 50th Commissioner’s Cup Finals after a 4-2 semifinal series win over the Meralco Bolts.
While Tropang 5G have been widely considered contenders in the midseason tournament, their journey to the Finals has not been without setbacks. In fact, TNT became only the second team in league history to reach the championship round as the eighth seed in the playoffs.
Bol Manute Bol: The player to watch
TNT captured fans’ attention after acquiring 7-foot-2 former NBA player Bol Manute Bol.
The signing was intended to strengthen TNT’s lineup after their main import, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, suffered an ACL injury.
With Bol in the mix, expectations were high that TNT would dominate the tournament, given the combination of elite import talent and a strong local core.
However, the opening phase of the elimination round showed that it would not be a cakewalk for TNT.
Elimination round
Reyes’ squad began their campaign against Yeng Guiao-coached Rain or Shine last March 20. Despite a 38-point, 16-rebound performance from Bol, TNT suffered a 112-109 defeat.
Unlike Rain or Shine’s locals, who made the biggest impact, TNT’s Filipino players struggled to match the pace of ROS’s run-and-gun style. Only Calvin Oftana and Jayson Castro finished in double figures with 19 and 13 points respectively.
After dropping their opener, TNT went on a 5-1 run, defeating NLEX (103-97), San Miguel (118-92), Terrafirma (101-89), Blackwater (99-94), and Titan Ultra (97-92), with their only loss in that stretch coming against Meralco (106-110).
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Struggles and setbacks
Their issues became more evident following a 92-97 loss to Converge on April 22. The game exposed a clear weakness in TNT’s offensive structure.
Bol delivered another strong performance with 32 points, but only seven locals outside the import managed to score.
TNT followed that with a win over the Macau Black Knights (119-112), but then suffered a three-game losing streak starting with a 97-100 defeat to the Phoenix Fuel Masters.
TNT nearly stole the game after leading for most of the contest, but Tyler Tio hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer over Bol to seal the result.
The loss further highlighted TNT’s imbalance. While Bol remained dominant on both ends, questions grew about how much his usage limited opportunities for the local core.
Magnolia Hotshots coach LA Tenorio also weighed in after his team’s 106-94 win over Tropang 5G.
He admitted his team lacked the size to challenge Bol directly once he established position.
“So we decided to let him do his thing and focus on the locals,” said Tenorio.
“I have so much respect for the locals. Ever since I’ve been playing against them, it’s the locals who really give other teams problems.”
True enough, TNT’s locals struggled again in that game. While Bol erupted for 53 points, only Oftana reached double figures among the locals with 18 points, while the second unit combined for just 17 points.
Closing the elimination round
TNT ended their polarizing elimination campaign with a 93-86 loss to eventual Finals opponent Barangay Ginebra, finishing with a 6-6 win-loss record and securing the lowest seed in the top eight.
Despite the inconsistency, TNT still advanced to the semifinals after overcoming a twice-to-beat disadvantage against NLEX, reinforcing their championship pedigree.
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Fourth straight finals appearance
Tropang 5G’s defeat to San Miguel in the Philippine Cup ended hopes of a Grand Slam after winning both the Season 49 Commissioner’s and Governors’ Cup titles.
Now, however, they have another opportunity to strengthen their legacy.
A victory over Barangay Ginebra in the best-of-seven Finals would further cement TNT’s dominance over one of the league’s most popular teams.
It would also prove that Tropang 5G can win even without Rondae Hollis-Jefferson.
That challenge will not be easy, especially after Bol left to recover from a suspected ACL injury sustained in Game 2 against Meralco.
While Chris McCullough has stepped in to help TNT close out the series, the Finals present an entirely different level of difficulty that will demand a new approach from Reyes and his squad.
Is TNT ready to rise to the challenge? The answer will soon be revealed.
KC Maderia 
Lucia Caporalini 
John Christopher Aquino