Game today:
(Mall of Asia Arena)
7:30 p.m. — Ginebra vs TNT
All is set for the coronation night of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup’s finest Wednesday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Yet to be decided is which between the reigning champion TNT and Barangay Ginebra will get its moment of glory while lifting the shiny hardware in front of an expected capacity crowd.
The best-of-seven series, tied after six thrilling games, winds down to one final battle — the last act in another epic chapter of the two franchises’ storied rivalry.
Game 7 tipoff time is set at 7:30 p.m.
A repeat of last year’s title showdown course, both squads refused to yield an inch and dragged the war to full distance.
TNT forced the decider with a gritty 98-90 escape in Game 6 last Sunday after weathering Ginebra resident import Justin Brownlee’s 52-point sizzler behind reinforcement Chris McCullough’s 53 markers.
The Tropang 5G looks to repeat last season’s come-from-behind series win when they claimed the final two matches, including the deciding Game 7.
“In our board, we put there: ‘96 minutes,’ encircled in a heart. We said let’s play the best 96 minutes of our lives — Game 6 and Game 7. And now, we’ve done the first half of that,” TNT head coach Chot Reyes said after his team extended a lifeline.
“We’ll find a way to get ready for the second half come Wednesday,” added the 11-time champion tactician.
Reyes knows the tough task at hand with McCullough, who in 2019 led his former team San Miguel Beer to the same throne, bearing the scoring load on his shoulders.
TNT will need all the help it can get despite Calvin Oftana, who is bothered by a calf injury that forced him to sit out Game 6, playing subpar since dropping 31 points in Game 2.
Reyes will also pin his hopes on RR Pogoy, Rey Nambatac, Jordan Heading and veteran Jayson Castro to get the job done once again.
