(PBA image)
Down 21 and staring at a long night, TNT Tropang 5G flipped the script with a second-half defensive clampdown, storming back to stun the Meralco Bolts, 100-95, and seize Game 1 of their PBA Philippine Cup semifinal series Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
What unraveled Meralco’s commanding start was a halftime reset that shifted the tone of the game. After surrendering 62 points in a lopsided first half and trailing by as many as 21 in the second quarter, TNT emerged from the break intent on defending the ball straight up—no over-help, no bailouts.
The adjustment paid off immediately as the Tropang 5G tightened the point of attack and gradually bled the Bolts’ rhythm dry.
Calvin Oftana delivered when it mattered most, pouring in nine of his game-high 28 points in a tense fourth quarter. Though he struggled from deep at 1-of-5, he lived at the line, knocking down 11 of 12 free throws and calmly icing the game in the closing seconds.
With TNT now eyeing a 2-0 cushion on Wednesday at the Big Dome, Oftana kept his feet on the ground. “Mahaba pa ’tong series,” he said, fully aware the Bolts would come back swinging.
TNT head coach Chot Reyes took responsibility for the early hole, acknowledging that Meralco dissected the initial game plan to build a 62-46 halftime lead. The message at the break was simple and urgent: defend one-on-one, protect the ball, and raise the pressure.
The response was emphatic. Rey Nambatac finished with 17 points, 11 coming after halftime, while RR Pogoy added 16, with 11 in a pivotal third quarter that erased a 16-point Meralco advantage by period’s end.
The collapse marked Meralco’s sixth straight loss to TNT dating back to the 2024 Commissioner’s Cup, a trend made more unsettling by the eerie similarity to their last meeting—a 100-98 TNT overtime win in Antipolo where the Tropang 5G also erased a massive second-quarter deficit.
Meralco briefly steadied itself late, grabbing an 89-86 edge with just over five minutes remaining. But Jordan Heading answered with a slashing drive, Kelly Williams muscled in a three-point play, and TNT never relinquished control again. Oftana’s four straight free throws sealed it.
“Sayang ’yung five-point na lamang namin noong last two minutes,” Oftana admitted. “Wake-up call din sa ’min ’yung 62 points nila noong first half.”
The numbers underscored the shift. Meralco shot a blistering 56 percent in the first half, drilling 7-of-13 from three, but cooled to 47 percent overall and went without a triple the rest of the way. A rare four-point play by Chris Banchero early in the fourth momentarily pushed back against the tide, but TNT’s pressure and poise proved decisive.
Game 1 belonged to TNT not because of the early fireworks, but because of the grind that followed—proof that in a long series, adjustments and nerve can matter more than any lead.