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After a close Game 1 of the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup Finals — marred by the “basket interference” controversy — protagonists San Miguel Beermen and TNT Tropang 5G now focus on winning Game 2.

San Miguel, the winningest franchise in PBA history, will try to tie the series at 1-1 while moving past their opening game loss, which was clouded by the PBA technical committee’s review of Mo Tautuaa’s dunk.

They will once again bank on the dominance of eight-time MVP June Mar Fajardo, along with CJ Perez and the rest of the squad, to get the equalizer.

While the San Miguel–Ginebra series went the distance to decide the last Finals berth, the TNT Tropang 5G’s early entry into the championship round gave their players time to heal.

The last two Finals MVPs of the grand slam-seeking TNT squad will still not be suiting up. Jayson Castro (Governors’ Cup Finals MVP) continues to recover from a full-thickness patellar tendon tear in his right knee, while Rey Nambatac (Commissioner’s Cup Finals MVP) remains sidelined with a groin injury.

Calvin Oftana, RR Pogoy, Kelly Williams, and Brian Heruela also dealt with injuries throughout the Philippine Cup, but all are possible to return in the Finals.

Roger Ray Pogoy poured in 28 points to lead the TNT Tropang 5G past the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, 98-91, in Game 1 of their Semi-Finals series on Wednesday, June 25, at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Aside from his 28 markers, the sharpshooting guard also grabbed two rebounds and dished out four assists while playing a game-high 36 minutes to anchor TNT’s victory.

As the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup semi-finals open on Wednesday, June 25, the grand slam-seeking TNT Tropang 5G and the "gate-crashing" Rain or Shine Elasto Painters will begin their best-of-seven clash at 5:00 PM at the Mall of Asia Arena.

It will be a battle between two teams with contrasting styles. TNT prefers to limit opponents to under 100 points per game, while Rain or Shine thrives on a fast-paced game and aims to put up big numbers whenever possible.

Both teams posted identical 8-5 records after the elimination and quarterfinal rounds. They also overcame twice-to-beat disadvantages to secure their spots in the Final Four.

The TNT Tropang 5G kept their Grand Slam bid alive after surviving the grit and grind of the Magnolia Chicken Timplados Hotshots, 89-88, on Wednesday, June 18, at the Philsports Arena in Pasig.

RR Pogoy came alive in the pivotal moments, finishing with 30 points to lead TNT to a crucial victory and force a knockout game on Saturday, June 21.

"Mindset ko lang eh ayaw ko magpatalo, ayaw ko mag-bakasyon," said Pogoy, who helped erase a 13-point Magnolia lead.

Supporting Pogoy in the must-win game were Calvin Oftana and Jordan Heading, who chipped in 21 and 10 points, respectively.

Veteran Kelly Williams and Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser also came up big, scoring 12 and 10 points. They drained back-to-back triples in the dying minutes to help seal the win.

Barangay Ginebra bounced back in Game 2 of the PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup Finals, finishing with a hard-fought 71-70 victory over TNT Tropang Giga on Sunday, March 16, at the Mall of Asia Arena and now tying the series 1-1.

Justin Brownlee carried the offensive load for Ginebra, finishing with 35 points and 11 rebounds in another stellar performance. Scottie Thompson added 16 markers, 12 boards, and a game-high seven dimes while coming up with a crucial defensive stop in the crucial moments of the game.

Japeth Aguilar contributed eight points and eight rebounds, while Stephen Holt made his presence felt on both ends, especially on guarding TNT’s import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson all night.

Holt held his ground and teamed up with Thompson for the game-sealing defensive stand. He also added seven points, four rebounds, and two steals.

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson led the charge for TNT, posting 25 points, 15 rebounds, two assists, one steal, and two blocks. Despite his dominant play, he was neutralized in the final two possessions, allowing Ginebra to escape with the win.

Rey Nambatac and RR Pogoy were the only other Tropang Giga players to score in double figures. Nambatac chipped in 14 points, three rebounds, and five assists, while Pogoy provided 11 points, including a clutch three-pointer at the 3:40 mark that gave TNT its first lead of the game.

Ginebra controlled most of the contest, but Pogoy’s late triple with 3:40 left in the game, briefly put TNT ahead, setting up a tense finish. However, Brownlee and the Gin Kings responded with timely buckets and defensive stops, holding on to win in front of over 12,000 fans.

A key factor in Ginebra’s victory was their perimeter defense. After allowing TNT to shoot 14-of-37 from deep in Game 1, the Gin Kings tightened up in Game 2, limiting Tropang Giga to just 6-of-31 from beyond the arc.

With the series now tied, both teams will look to make adjustments to get one game ahead as they battle in the pivotal Game 3.

The TNT Tropang Giga took a step closer to the PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup Finals after outlasting the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, 93-85, on Wednesday night, March 5, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Calvin Oftana spearheaded TNT’s attack, delivering a stellar 26-point performance along with three rebounds and four assists. RR Pogoy complemented his effort with an all-around showing, posting 22 markers, four boards, three dimes, a steal, and a block.

In the post-game interview, Oftana dedicated the win to veteran guard Jayson Castro, who has been ruled out for the season due to a knee injury.

“Malaking bagay na wala si Kuya Jayson. Itong remaining games namin, inoffer namin sa kanya,” said Oftana.

“Big factor si Kuya Jayson sa amin, pero hindi lang isang tao ang makakapuno sa kawalan niya. Kailangan namin magtulungan bilang isang team,” he added.

The TNT Tropang Giga showcased their strong defense with crucial stops in the final moments to secure an 88-84 win over Rain or Shine in Game 1 of their PBA Commissioner’s Cup best-of-seven semifinal series on Wednesday night, February 26, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Despite being ahead by just three points with 1:59 left in the game, TNT shut down Rain or Shine's offense. The Tropang Giga capitalized on the Elasto Painters’ mistakes, forcing four turnovers, including a crucial steal by RR Pogoy off an inbound pass from Andrei Caracut with just three seconds remaining after a timeout.

Elasto Painters head coach Yeng Guiao designed a play for a potential game-tying four-point shot, but the attempt was spoiled by a bad pass.

While RoS struggled in the final moments, TNT’s shooting, especially from beyond the arc, was on point. They hit 14-of-34 three-pointers, with Jayson Castro and Calvin Oftana leading the charge. Castro scored six three-pointers, missing only one, while Oftana also nailed six.

The TNT Tropang Giga kept their title as the PBA Governors' Cup champion when they finally ended the series of the Season 49 edition, conquering Barangay Ginebra, 95-85, on Friday night, November 8, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

It was another sweet victory for TNT as they finished the series once again in six games just like what they did in 2023.

Tropang Giga's hardworking reinforcement Rondae Hollis-Jefferson led the squad with 31 big points and defeated Ginebra's resident import Justin Brownlee for the second time around. In fact, Brownlee was 6-0 in the Finals until Hollis-Jefferson came into the picture last year.

RHJ also grabbed 16 rebounds and dished off seven assists during the game.