PBA: Previous four finals matchups of Barangay Ginebra and TNT 

The PBA 50 Commissioner’s Cup Finals is here with Barangay Ginebra and TNT facing each other again for the fifth time in three years.

As their best-of-seven series plays on, let’s take a look back on their four previous matchups and how they played out. 

2020 PBA Philippine Cup

For the first time in 45 seasons, the PBA staged a bubble tournament to keep the competition running despite the threat of the Covid-19 pandemic that disrupted not just the country but also the world.

The two-month stretch saw eight teams vie for a historic crown of the only PBA conference of the 2020 season with Barangay Ginebra and then TNT Tropang Giga emerging as the top two best teams of the league.

It took only five games for the Gin Kings to defeat the severely undermanned Tropang Giga, 82-78, on December 9 at the Angeles University Foundation Sports Arena and Cultural Center. 

Japeth Aguilar contributed a team-high 32 points to reel Ginebra to their first All-Filipino Cup title since 2007 and their 13th overall. 

LA Tenorio, who displayed impeccable floor generalship in the series, bagged the Finals MVP.

2023 PBA Governors’ Cup

TNT underwent serious leadership and roster changes after their defeat to Ginebra in 2020. 

Tropang Giga’s moment for revenge came in the 2023 Governors’ Cup where the Gin Kings were the reigning champions.

PBA legend Jojo Lastimosa replaced Bong Ravena as Tropang Giga’s mentor. 

TNT now had the likes of American Jordanian Rondae Hollis Jefferson (as import), Mikey Williams, Calvin Oftana, and Glenn Khobuntin to bolster their core composed of Jayson Castro, RR Pogoy, and Poy Erram. 

Ginebra, on the other hand, retained their championship lineup with Justin Brownlee, Scottie Thompson, LA Tenorio, and the Best Player of the Conference winner, Christian Standhardinger.

Ginebra seemed poised to dominate the series after winning Games 1, 102-90, and 3, 117-103. 

TNT then won the next three games, culminating in a 97-93 victory in Game 6 on April 21 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Mikey Williams was awarded with the Finals MVP plum following his 38 points, seven assists, and three assists. 

Hollis-Jefferson, who was the Best Import awardee of the conference, grabbed 27 markers, 13 boards, six dimes, and two steals. 

This matchup marked the first of finals rivalry between Hollis-Jefferson and Brownlee.

This victory was historic for TNT as they won its first-ever Governors’ Cup title since joining the league. 

Lastimosa also won his first title as a coach, a feat he achieved in his first conference in the PBA.

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2024 PBA Governors’ Cup

The marquee matchup between these two teams continued in the 2024 PBA Governors’ Cup with TNT seeking to defend their crown as the reigning champions of the tournament.

The tournament also featured a format where the 12 teams were divided into two groups. 

The groupings were based on their performance in the previous Philippine and Commissioner’s Cups.

Tropang 5G were grouped in Group A. 

The squad finished the elimination round with a conference-best record of 8-2, while the Gin Kings placed third overall in Group B with a 6-4 win-loss card.

Barangay Ginebra and TNT then arranged a finals matchup after eliminating San Miguel Beermen and Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in the semifinals.

The series featured another competitive performance from both teams, with TNT emerging victorious in Game 1, 104-88, and Game 2, 96-84. 

Ginebra then responded by winning Game 3, 85-73, and Game 4, 106-92.

Game 4 then proved to be the Gin Kings last win in the series as Tropang 5G dealt them a one-sided defeat in Game 5, 99-72, before TNT closed out the series in Game 6, 95-85, on November 8, 2024 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Jayson Castro snagged his first solo Finals MVP award after averaging 10.3 points, 5.1 assists, and 3.0 rebounds in the series.

2025 Commissioner’s Cup

The 2025 Commissioner’s Cup Finals proved to be the most gruelling duel between Barangay Ginebra and TNT in recent memory as the series went the distance to Game 7.

The first four games went back-and-forth before Ginebra achieved a 3-2 series advantage after outlasting Tropang 5G in a low-scoring Game 5, 73-66, on March 25, 2025, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

With their backs on the wall, Tropang 5G rallied back in Game 6, 87-83, to force a winner-takes-all Game 7. 

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Poy Erram leaned on their free throws to hurdle TNT following a late push from Ginebra in Game 6.

Game 7 on March 28, 2025 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum became one of the matches of the ages as it delivered a nerve-wracking ball game that extended to overtime.

Brownlee sank a triple that forced the game to extra regulation. TNT’s locals then fired the best salvo right away. 

Nambatac completed a tough layup, Erram then split his freebies while Glenn Khobuntin detonated a triple to give Tropang 5G an 85-79 advantage.

The Gin Kings refused to go down easily. 

Japeth Aguilar attacked the basket and Jamie Malonzo drilled two charities that cut the deficit to just two points, 85-83. 

Calvin Oftana then slammed the door with an easy layup to push TNT’s advantage to four points to clinch their 11th PBA title. 

Will TNT reassert its mastery again over Ginebra? Or is time ripe for the Gin Kings to break their Tropang 5G curse? The answer awaits.

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