AN OUTRIGHT entry into a fourth straight finals awaits TNT when it takes on a back-to-the-wall Meralco side on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in their PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup semifinal duel at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The TNT Tropang 5G took a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series after a dominant 102-83 win last Sunday, Jan. 11, giving them three chances to close out the matchup and advance to the championship round.
Despite the odds, the Meralco Bolts remain optimistic. Used to adversity, coach Luigi Trillo vowed his team would come out stronger in Game 5.
“We always thrive in games when our backs are against the wall,” he said after Game 4. “In past conferences, we didn’t start well, but we somehow won three to four straight games. We’re used to that. We’ll be better on Wednesday. I believe we can do better. We just need to
lock in.”
For a variety of understandable reasons, coach Chot Reyes, who narrowly missed steering TNT to a rare Grand Slam last season, prefers to take the short route.
“Of course, we’re going to go all-out because we know -- not because it’s a close-out game -- but because we know Meralco is going to come back really hard. And I’ve said this since Game 1, we have no illusions that this is going to be an easy series,” said Reyes.
Roger Pogoy is a big question mark for TNT after suffering a hamstring injury in just 64 seconds of action in Game 4, while Meralco is more likely to be without Chris Newsome for a second straight game as he continues to recover from a left knee injury sustained in Game 3.
Health concerns
The Tropa are also dealing with other health concerns: Rey Nambatac is playing through a sprain and Kelly Williams has seen limited minutes after a recent bout with flu.
“It’s the next man up. Injuries are part of any kind of tournament, any kind of playoff run. Hopefully, it’s not too severe but the way it looks, it’s not looking good,” said Reyes.
“But the reason why we made the moves that we made in the off-season was precisely for situations like this. Because we already know from the past that these things can really happen. So it’s just incumbent on the others to fill that void.”
Poy Erram has already answered that call in TNT’s bounce-back win from an 89-97 loss in Game 3, scattering a personal conference-high 27 points on top of nine rebounds and three blocks to lead a charge that also had Jordan Heading, Calvin Oftana and Kim Aurin as
integral parts.
For the Meralco Bolts, survival hinges on finding ways to provide Chris Banchero, Cliff Hodge and CJ Cansino with more support if they hope to extend the series. / PBA.PH