PBA SEMIS: TNT Keeps Grand Slam Hopes Alive After Eliminating ROS

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

The TNT Tropang 5G marched to their third consecutive grand final appearance after eliminating the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in Game 6, 97-89, during the PBA Philippine Cup semifinals on July 6, 2025, at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.

With another grand final ticket secured, the Tropang 5G will have the chance to join elite company after boosting their chances of a rare Grand Slam feat, an achievement only done by Crispa, San Miguel, Alaska, and the San Mig Super Coffee (now Magnolia Hotshots).

To seal the close Game 6 duel, TNT banked on a surgical 14-2 offensive run in the most crucial stretch of the fourth and final quarter.

It was still anybody’s ball game with the score deadlocked at 80-all, but the Tropang 5G officially put Rain or Shine away with their 14-2 blitz kicked off by Calvin Oftana’s three-point play.

Oftana’s go-ahead basket sparked TNT in the championship minutes as he was joined by the duo of Jordan Heading and Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser who took turns converting clutch baskets that ballooned the Tropang 5G’s lead to 12 points, 94-82, with only a minute remaining.

Caelan Tiongson attempted to lead Rain or Shine’s come-from-behind attempt after scoring all five points in the stretch but the balanced offensive distribution of TNT proved to be too much after unleashing mayhem in the last three minutes of the final canto.

The Elasto Painters got close after scoring several garbage buckets, but the Tropang 5G already had the match in the bag with a comfortable lead in the dying seconds.

Heading, who entered the PBA semifinal series injured and uncertain to suit up, saved the best for last after propelling TNT with 29 points, four assists, three rebounds, and two steals.

The former Gilas Pilipinas sniper was all over the place diving for loose balls while keeping TNT’s offensive engine heated up with huge pull-up three-pointers in the third frame.

Backstopping Heading in the win was Ganuelas-Rosser, who stepped up in the absence of Kelly Williams with 17 markers, five boards, and three blocked shots.

The tagged “Super Role Player” of TNT, Glenn Khobuntin, also ignited the depleted Tropang 5G squad, which badly needed offense, without RR Pogoy, who is still nursing a hamstring injury.

Head coach Chot Reyes’ ever-reliable utility guy finished the series-clinching victory with a dominant double-double outing of 16 points and 12 rebounds.

The Tropang 5G will have more time to rest before the PBA Finals begin, as the San Miguel Beermen and the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings will still battle in the do-or-die Game 7 scheduled on July 9, 2025.