McCullough explodes for 53 as TNT forces Game 7

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

Chris McCullough put up his best offensive performance since donning the yellow and black threads of the TNT Tropang 5G, erupting for 53 big points that helped his squad force a winner-take-all Game 7 against Barangay Ginebra in the ongoing PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals.

On June 14, 2026, McCullough and the Tropang 5G hacked out the must-win Game 6 thriller, outlasting Ginebra in a back-and-forth dogfight, 98-90, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Just when the Gin Kings thought they could wrap up the finals series in six games, McCullough came through when the Tropang 5G needed him most as he torched Ginebra from the get-go with efficient perimeter shooting and aggressive drives to the basket.

Most importantly, McCullough fended off a spirited come-from-behind attempt by Ginebra, which erased its 10-point deficit behind Justin Brownlee’s scoring barrage.

After trailing by 10 points, the Gin Kings frustrated TNT by taking an 80-78 lead on a Brownlee 3-pointer with 6:15 left in regulation.

McCullough then responded with a trifecta of his own, leading the Tropang 5G back on top, 81-80.

After the trey, McCullough continued inflicting damage by scoring in the pick-and-roll and delivering a sweet dime to Kelly Williams that pushed TNT’s cushion back to five points, 85-80.

At the 3:02 mark, after Ginebra cut TNT’s lead to just three points, McCullough officially entered beast mode when he drained another 3-pointer, giving the Tropang 5G a six-point advantage in crunch time, 88-82.

Perhaps his biggest play of the entire game came at the 1:55 mark, when McCullough cashed in a demoralizing 4-pointer to increase TNT’s lead to eight points, 94-86.

After McCullough’s scoring bursts, the Gin Kings ran out of gas and failed to replicate their never-say-die mantra in the final minute of Game 6.

Jordan Heading then sealed the deal for the Tropang 5G, calmly sinking both shots from the charity stripe with only 15 seconds remaining in the game.

McCullough capped his heroic Game 6 performance with 53 points on efficient 20-of-36 shooting from the field, alongside 22 rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one block.

Heading had a near double-double with 19 markers and nine dimes, while RR Pogoy remained consistent on the offensive end with 13 points.

On the other hand, the Gin Kings received another scoring masterclass from Brownlee, who unleashed 52 points and five rebounds, but his personal clinic wasn’t enough to match McCullough’s eruption.

Both teams will have only one day of rest before the do-or-die Game 7, set for June 17, 2026, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena at 7:30 p.m.