.png){kind=spacer}
1 week ago
21
Upgrade to High-Speed Internet for only ₱1499/month!
Enjoy up to 100 Mbps fiber broadband, perfect for browsing, streaming, and gaming.
Visit Suniway.ph to learn
- TNT Tropang 5G and Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings begin their best-of-seven PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals showdown.
2026 PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals Game 1
June 3, Wednesday – Smart Araneta Coliseum
- 7:30pm – Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings vs TNT Tropang 5G
Ginebra’s path to finals will help PBA title bid, says Scottie
Scottie Thompson and Barangay Ginebra head into their PBA Commissioner’s Cup title showdown with TNT on Wednesday carrying lessons from their previous defeats at the hands of the same foe and hardened by a tough semifinal series against Rain or Shine.
And Thompson hopes that the 7:30 p.m. encounter at Smart Araneta Coliseum would be the stepping stone for the Gin Kings to finally get over the line and end a three-year championship drought that seemed like ages for a team used to success.
“We will use that as motivation,” Thompson said, as Ginebra eyes its first title since the 2022-2023 Commissioner’s Cup when it prevailed over the guest team Bay Area Dragons before 54,000 fans at Philippine Arena.
Championships have eluded the crowd favorites since, with their next three Finals trips ending in defeats, all against TNT.
PBA Finals: Jordan Heading hungry for payback after heartbreaks
TNT guard Jordan Heading reacts during Game 6 of the PBA semifinals against Meralco. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines—TNT was only one title away last season from completing a rare Grand Slam.
However, those dreams were halted when they fell to San Miguel Beer in the Philippine Cup Finals. They suffered another Finals loss to the Beermen this season in the same conference.
One of the main guys during those Finals runs was Jordan Heading, who made his conference debut with the Tropang 5G in last year’s All-Filipino conference.
But instead of a championship celebration, TNT ended up falling short, a moment Heading hopes to rewrite this time in the Commissioner’s Cup Finals against Barangay Ginebra.
“This means everything. When you lose in the finals, it sticks with you,” said Heading. “The whole offseason, that’s all I thought about, when I train in the morning, that’s all I think about.”
PBA Finals: RJ Abarrientos relishes chance to face Jayson Castro
Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings’ RJ Abarrientos during a game in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines—While most players would feel the pressure of facing a PBA legend in the Finals, RJ Abarrientos is simply enjoying the moment.
Abarrientos, set for his third Finals appearance, enters the Commissioner’s Cup championship series with a chance to go head-to-head with PBA legend Jayson Castro.
For some, that would be a daunting challenge. For Abarrientos, it’s a dream come true.
“I still feel like I’m dreaming,” Abarrientos said. “I’m grateful that I get to face someone who I only watched before in the Finals. I’m just grateful to face Kuya Jayson. He’s healthy now, he’s back to the Finals and I’m looking forward to that.”
PBA Finals: No animosity between ex-foes and now-TNT teammates
Chris McCullough (right) has a chance at winning a second PBA title with a different team. —MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
Chris McCullough admits that he’s still in the process of being in sync with his teammates after three games into his role as TNT’s replacement import.
Getting along with RR Pogoy, whose history with McCullough has been a source of talk on social media, didn’t have complications, though.
“Oh, we’re friends, man,” McCullough said on Monday when select members of the Finals protagonists Tropang 5G and Barangay Ginebra gathered at Novotel Manila for the customary press conference before the best-of-seven series for the PBA Commissioner’s Cup title.
That elicited laughs inside the ballroom where the two teams met one more time before the series gets going on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Subscribe to our daily newsletter
Subscribe to INQUIRER PLUS to get access to The Philippine Daily Inquirer & other 70+ titles, share up to 5 gadgets, listen to the news, download as early as 4am & share articles on social media. Call 896 6000.
