The TNT Tropang 5G's Grand Slam hopes remained alive with a tough 86-78 Game 5 victory over the San Miguel Beermen in the 2025 PBA Philippine Cup. It is TNT's third do-or-die victory of the conference and also stops San Miguel's three-game winning streak in this series.
TNT responded with relentless help defense and timely offense to keep the series alive against San Miguel.
All momentum heading into Game 5 pointed to San Miguel. Their interior presence, led by June Mar Fajardo, had largely overwhelmed TNT, especially with JP Erram's limited availability due to injury and ultimately being out for the finals. But TNT dug deep and responded with a gritty, defense-first effort to extend the series.
Fajardo remained a focal point of San Miguel's attack, but TNT committed to slowing him down with a disciplined and collective effort. While no team can expect to fully neutralize the six-time MVP, TNT's bigs -- particularly Kelly Williams and Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser -- executed a smart and aggressive game plan anchored by crisp help defense.
They sent late doubles at the right angles, showed timely digs from the perimeter, and rotated seamlessly whenever Fajardo made his move inside. The result: Fajardo was forced into tough looks, had limited room to operate, and finished with just 13 points in 34 minutes -- his lowest scoring output of the series.
That effort translated into a dominant defensive showing. San Miguel was held to just 32.1% from the field, including a staggering 34.5% (19-of-55) inside the arc -- numbers that are uncharacteristic for a team that thrives off high-percentage looks in the paint. They struggled to establish their usual rhythm, often met by help defenders collapsing the driving lanes, rotating early on kickouts, and closing out hard on shooters.
Williams' role was pivotal on both ends. He dragged Fajardo out of the paint by hitting four triples, spacing the floor, and forcing the big man into foul trouble with four personal fouls. He also made Fajardo defend in space, making him work every possession.
Meanwhile, Ganuelas-Rosser was relentless -- diving into open pockets as a weakside cutter, rolling hard to the rim, and crashing the boards. Offensively, he chipped in 18 points on 64.3% shooting, but it was his defensive disruption of five blocks and three steals that truly defined his impact. His timing, verticality, and recovery ability helped wall off the paint, limit second-chance opportunities, and pressure San Miguel into settling for contested shots.
While RR Pogoy and Calvin Oftana still haven't fully regained their offensive touch, they chipped in a combined 24 points and found ways to contribute. Oftana's drives created better ball movement when his jumper wasn't falling, and Pogoy attacked through ball screen actions in the fourth quarter, taking advantage of Fajardo's perimeter coverage and collapsing the defense for easier kickouts.
TNT also got balanced scoring across the board. All five starters scored in double figures, with Jordan Heading adding 13 points. But perhaps the biggest surprise came from Almond Vosotros, who provided a timely boost off the bench, especially with Simon Enciso also being out for the finals. In just 18 minutes, he poured in 11 points, helping TNT survive in a tightly contested, low-scoring affair.
San Miguel, on the other hand, missed a golden chance to close out the series. While Jericho Cruz continued to provide consistent offense off the bench with 20 points on efficient shooting (63.9 TS%), and Marcio Lassiter had his best outing with 15 points and three triples, the rest of the team struggled to keep pace. CJ Perez had a poor outing -- scoring just five points with three turnovers on a brutal 21.4 TS% -- leaving a huge void in their offensive output.
If San Miguel wants to end it in Game 6, they'll need to bring more beyond Fajardo. That means smarter offensive movement, more reliable shot creation from Perez and others, and better decision-making against TNT's aggressive help defense. For now, TNT has reminded everyone that grit, timing, and team-wide defensive commitment can still turn the tide in a championship series.