THE TNT Tropang 5G bucked the odds in the quarterfinals to become only the fifth team in Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) history to overcome a twice-to-win disadvantage against a top-seed team.
Led by their towering big man Bol Bol, the No. 8 seed TNT defeated NLEX Road Warriors, 118-112, on Saturday night, May 16, 2026, in their do-or-die game of the PBA Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup quarterfinals, completing an upset against the top-seeded Road Warriors.
TNT initially defeated NLEX, 96-93, last Wednesday to force a deciding game, before following it up with another thrilling victory on Saturday.
The other four teams in league history to achieve such a feat were the Northport Batang Pier (2019 Governors’ Cup), Powerade Tigers (2011-2012 Philippine Cup), San Miguel Beermen (2002 Governors’ Cup), and Barangay Ginebra (1999 All-Filipino Cup).
In the winner-take-all showdown, Bol posted 35 points and 13 rebounds, Roger Pogoy chipped in 21 points, Calvin Oftana contributed 20, and Jayson Castro delivered 13 points for TNT.
With the victory, TNT clinched its fifth consecutive semifinal appearance, keeping its title defense alive in the Commissioner’s Cup.
TNT head coach Chot Reyes emphasized that having a complete lineup in the quarterfinals was the key to pulling off the upset against a formidable NLEX squad.
“We finally get the lineup we wanted on the floor. This is the first time this conference Roger started a game. He came off an injury and we managed his minutes early on. Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser also came off an injury. When we managed to bring everybody in, that’s big in our turnaround,” Reyes said in an article posted on the PBA website.
Cebuano shooter Pogoy expressed that they needed to provide ample support for their big man Bol, which is exactly what they did in the quarterfinals.
The semifinals cast is now complete with TNT facing the Meralco Bolts, and crowd favorite Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings playing the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in a best-of-seven series starting this Wednesday. / RSC
