Tropang 5G Edge Bolts in Thriller, Set Up Finals Rematch with Gin Kings

The stage is set for a familiar showdown in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Commissioner’s Cup as TNT and Ginebra prepare to clash once again in the Finals after surviving grueling semifinal battles on Sunday.

Hours after Ginebra secured its Finals berth by eliminating Rain or Shine, TNT followed suit with a nail-biting 97–94 win over Meralco in Game 6 at the Ynares Center, punching their ticket back to the championship round.

TNT head coach Chot Reyes acknowledged the challenge ahead, framing the rematch as a battle against the league’s most popular franchise. This will mark the fourth Finals meeting between the two teams in the last eight conferences, intensifying one of the league’s defining modern rivalries.

Jordan Heading emerged as the hero for TNT, scoring 30 points and orchestrating the offense in the final minutes. He and import Chris McCullough—who earlier tallied 22 points, 13 rebounds, and seven assists before fouling out—formed the backbone of TNT’s late-game execution, mirroring their pivotal contributions in Game 5 that kept the team’s Finals hopes alive.

Meralco mounted a furious comeback after trailing by as many as 14 points, erasing the deficit and tying the game at 94 with less than two minutes left. The Bolts’ surge gained momentum after McCullough fouled out with 3:23 remaining, leaving TNT vulnerable down the stretch.

With the game hanging in the balance, Heading delivered the decisive blow, completing a three-point play off a foul from Patrick Gardner with just 42 seconds left to restore TNT’s lead for good.

Gardner finished with 32 points and 13 rebounds to lead Meralco, while Chris Newsome and Bong Quinto added 15 and 14 points, respectively. Cliff Hodge and Jason Brickman contributed 11 points each, but the Bolts came up just short.

Calvin Oftana chipped in 12 points for TNT, which now shifts its focus to a high-stakes Finals rematch with Ginebra—another chapter in a rivalry that continues to define the league’s most memorable moments.