PBA: TNT dumps NLEX’s twice-to-beat edge, reaches semis

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

The TNT Tropang 5G overcame the NLEX Road Warriors’ twice-to-beat advantage to secure the final seat in the upcoming PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinals on May 16, 2026, at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.

Fresh off a thrilling three-point win to force the do-or-die, the Tropang 5G showed they still had enough gas left in the tank as they pulled off the massive sweep with the Game 2 dub, 118-112.

After defying the twice-to-beat odds, TNT arranged a highly anticipated semifinal showdown against the Meralco Bolts, who earlier took care of business against the Magnolia Hotshots Chicken Timplados.

The Tropang 5G displayed a masterful clinic in the crucial Game 2 as they outplayed NLEX on both ends of the floor to notch the wire-to-wire win.

TNT kicked things off with disciplined offensive schemes, leaning on Bol Bol’s paint prowess, which forced NLEX head coach Jong Uichico to deploy early double teams.

Unfortunately for NLEX, Bol knew the memo and played the kick-out game to perfection, feeding Jayson Castro, Calvin Oftana, and RR Pogoy, who found their spots to repay the trust of their superstar import.

When NLEX sagged off screens to stay over TNT’s rotating guards in the flare action, Bol stayed at the right elbow, waiting for the fundamentally sound roll passes that ballooned the Tropang 5G’s paint scoring advantage to 29-15 at the half.

All hell broke loose in the pivotal third quarter after the Tropang 5G exploded for 37 points to stretch their advantage to 17 heading into the final frame.

Anchoring TNT’s massive pullaway were Bol and Pogoy, who both caught fire just in time when NLEX import Cady Lalanne went on a heater midway through the third period.

TNT then dropped the hammer with a 22-point cushion in the final canto, courtesy of Bol’s finishing touches and Castro’s on-point decision-making on the court.

The Road Warriors tried to rally from their double-digit deficit after Lalanne kept fighting for every possession, but time wasn’t on their side as TNT’s 22-point lead proved to be too much.

Bol once again feasted against NLEX as the former NBA talent dropped a dominant double-double of 35 points and 13 rebounds.

The local support crew also stepped up when TNT needed them the most, as the trio of Pogoy, Oftana, and Castro delivered 21, 20, and 14 markers, respectively.

On the other hand, NLEX received a performance for the ages from Lalanne, who led all scorers with 46 points and 16 rebounds, but his individual brilliance wasn’t enough to help the Road Warriors get past TNT.