Semifinals Heat Up as Tropang 5G and Gin Kings Emerge Early Favorites

The final four teams are aiming to seize an early advantage as the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Season 50 Commissioner's Cup semifinals tip off later in Antipolo.

Game 1 of both best-of-7 series begins at 5:15 p.m. at the Ynares Center, featuring reigning champions TNT clashing with Meralco in an all-MVP showdown.

According to TigerScore sportsbook, Tropang 5G are favored to win by 5 points, largely due to their historic comeback against top-seeded NLEX in the quarterfinals. The over/under for the matchup is set at 195.0.

Coach Chot Reyes guided TNT to become just the fifth team to overcome a twice-to-win disadvantage en route to the Final Four, culminating in a 118-112 do-or-die victory last Saturday, powered by a balanced team effort.

The triumph has boosted confidence for Bol Bol and his teammates heading into the semis, but Meralco is no easy opponent. The Bolts bounced back after a grueling playoff series against rival Magnolia, recovering from consecutive losses to win 105-102 in the knockout game.

Coach Luigi Trillo’s squad also holds a psychological edge, having defeated TNT earlier in the preliminaries, 110-106, on April 6. Additionally, Meralco’s experience from last season’s Philippine Cup semis—where they fell in five games to their sister team—adds fuel to their determination.

Later, at 7:30 p.m., crowd favorites Ginebra face Rain or Shine, aiming to continue their dominance. The Kings previously routed the Elasto Painters 114-90 on May 3 at SMART Araneta Coliseum, sinking 21 three-pointers, and will look to replicate that form in their race-to-four series.

TigerScore lists Ginebra as a -3.5 favorite, with an over/under of 209.5 as of 3 p.m. But Coach Tim Cone remains cautious, anticipating another strategic battle against Yeng Guiao, whose Rain or Shine team has enjoyed a resurgence and is one of the most-watched squads in this midseason showdown.

Despite a shaky finish in the eliminations after a 7-0 start, Rain or Shine enters the semis with high confidence, having eliminated San Miguel 113-104 while capitalizing on their win-once playoff advantage—mirroring Ginebra’s quarterfinal strategy.

Fans can place wagers for both games here