GAME FRIDAY
(PhilSports Arena, Pasig)
7:30 p.m. – SMB vs. TNT
TNT playmaker Jordan Heading found a wide-open Almond Vosotros from the left corner last night—a rare play in the series where San Miguel Beer’s offense was caught napping.
Showing up with sheer willpower, the Tropang 5G carved out an 86-78 victory over the Beermen in Game 5 of their best-of-7 finals duel and keep alive their Triple Crown hopes in the PBA Philippine Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Vosotros dialed in the booming three-pointer that gave TNT a 70-55 separation at the 8:47 mark of the fourth quarter before the Tropang 5G held their ground in the face of repeated comeback tries from SMB.
Energetic big man Brandon Ganueslas-Rosser showed the way for TNT with 18 points, five rebounds, three steals, and five blocks while Kelly Williams chipped in 14 markers, seven boards, and two assists.
Calvin Oftana, Heading, Vosotros, and Roger Pogoy also had 13, 13, 11, and 11 points, respectively as the Tropang 5G stopped the bleeding after losing three in a row in the race-to-4 series, including a 91-105 defeat in the fourth match last Sunday.
Trailing 2-3, TNT seeks to forge a Game 7 when it faces SMB in the sixth tiff set for tomorrow at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig.
A deciding seventh game, if needed, will be played on Sunday, July 27, also at the Pasig-based venue.
Jericho Cruz scored 20 points and grabbed four rebounds for the Beermen while Marcio Lassiter had 15 and five.
Best Player of the Conference June Mar Fajardo was held to just 13 markers although he pulled down 13 caroms.
