McCullough Explodes for 53 as TNT Forces Game 7 Thriller

Chris McCullough put on a dominant two-way performance as TNT Tropang 5G outlasted Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, 98-90, to force a decisive Game 7 in the 2026 Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Commissioner’s Cup Finals on Sunday night at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.

In a high-stakes import showdown, McCullough outshined Justin Brownlee with a career-high 53 points and 22 rebounds, keeping TNT’s championship defense alive. The big man took control in the clutch, pouring in 16 points in the fourth quarter alone to answer every Ginebra comeback attempt.

His biggest moment came late, when he drilled a crucial four-point play that pushed TNT’s lead to 94-86 with 1:52 left, effectively sealing the win.

Jordan Heading then iced the game from the free-throw line, converting three straight free throws with 15.2 seconds remaining after TNT had surrendered a double-digit lead earlier in the period.

Brownlee delivered yet another heroic effort for Ginebra, tallying 52 points and five rebounds for his second straight 50-point game. However, his stellar outing lacked sufficient support from the rest of the Kings.

TNT head coach Chot Reyes credited McCullough’s ability to match Brownlee’s firepower as the game’s turning point.

“I guess C-Mac got tired of Justin eating his lunch,” Reyes said in front of a packed crowd of 22,731 fans.

“Another 50-piece by Justin, but C-Mac was able to stay in step with him. And I think that’s basically the key.”

Heading contributed 19 points and nine assists, forming an effective pick-and-roll partnership with McCullough, while Roger Pogoy added 13 points for TNT.

On the other side, Ginebra’s local players struggled offensively. Troy Rosario led the locals with nine points and 15 rebounds, but Scottie Thompson and RJ Abarrientos combined for only nine points on a dismal 2-of-18 shooting from the field. Abarrientos endured a brutal 1-of-12 night in 40 minutes.

Ginebra briefly seized momentum in the fourth with a 13-3 run to take an 80-78 lead, but McCullough answered immediately with back-to-back three-pointers before delivering the decisive four-point play that swung the game back in TNT’s favor.

Reyes captured the team’s mindset heading into the finale:

“In our board, we put ‘96 minutes’ encircled in a heart. We said let’s play the best 96 minutes of our lives—Game 6 and Game 7. And now, we’ve done the first half of that.”

Game 7 is scheduled for Wednesday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena, where TNT will aim to complete the comeback while Ginebra seeks to end its long championship drought.