LIVE UPDATES: San Miguel vs TNT – PBA Philippine Cup Finals, Game 1

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The TNT Tropang 5G eye a rare Grand Slam, while the San Miguel Beermen seek to play spoiler to get back on top as the two elite squads kick off the PBA Philippine Cup finals series

MANILA, Philippines – A blockbuster showdown awaits as the TNT Tropang 5G and the San Miguel Beermen kick off their best-of-seven finals in the PBA Philippine Cup at the Araneta Coliseum on Sunday, July 13.

The Tropang 5G eye a rare Grand Slam after ruling the Season 49 Governors’ Cup and Commissioner’s Cup, while the Beermen seek to play the spoiler role like they did to TNT 14 years ago and get back on top after falling short in last year’s Philippine Cup finals.  

TNT and San Miguel are both coming off grueling semifinal matchups that saw their main gunners suffer and play through injuries all series long. 

Already without injured players Jayson Castro and Rey Nambatac, the Tropang 5G overcame a gutsy Rain or Shine Elasto Painters squad minus Roger Pogoy and Kelly Williams due to hamstring and ankle injuries, respectively, while Calvin Oftana also battled through ankle sprains. 

Meanwhile, June Mar Fajardo dealt with a calf injury throughout their thrilling seven-game clash against the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings, but still managed to put up a monster double-double of 21 points and 19 rebounds to complement the heroics of veteran guard Chris Ross in the series clincher. 

With Pogoy and Williams still questionable for Game 1, look for the powerhouse Beermen to take advantage of a banged-up TNT side, while count on the Tropang 5G to rely on collective effort behind guys like Oftana, Jordan Heading, and Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser. 

Game 1 tips off at 7:30 pm. – Rappler.com