After four games, the 2025 Honda PBA Philippine Cup Finals has become a battle in the trenches. Every rebound has become more important because of the possessions each team gains. Taking control inside whether on offense and defense has become the key to victory, and we’ve seen how the San Miguel Beermen have utilized their size advantage to lord over the paint. 

Undermanned and facing elimination, the TNT Tropang 5G were seeing their grand slam aspirations slipping away. But with the way they played in Game 5, it seems like they won’t go quietly into the night. 

It was clear the Tropang 5G were playing with a level of desperation you’d expect from a team down to what could be their final game, and they managed to take a page out of the Beermen’s playbook by taking their offense inside. Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser and Kelly Williams took turns in dealing damage to the shell-shocked SMB defense in order to help TNT gain an early advantage they wouldn’t relinquish. 

Defensively, they were giving San Miguel’s offense fits as June Mar Fajardo needed to sweat for his points, while the likes of CJ Perez, Don Trollano, and Marcio Lassiter could not support the steady play of Jojo Lastimosa’s second-favorite Beerman Jericho Cruz. 

When the dust settled, the Tropang 5G made sure that the confetti would not be raised for at least a few more days. 

TNT may have found the remedy to their woes, but it won’t be easy. Poy Erram’s status remains up in the air given his ankle injury and hamstring tear. Williams is also 43 years old and while he continues to play more than 30 minutes per game, the wear-and-tear could take its toll in the coming games. That leaves Ganuelas-Rosser, who has been putting up a valiant effort for much of this season. 

At 31, Ganuelas-Rosser is at his prime and his size allows him to stay with Fajardo and Tautuaa. His 14 points and seven rebounds were critical to the Tropang 5G’s Game 5 victory, but it’s his contributions beyond the box score that will spell the difference between a grand slam and what might have been. Staying out of foul trouble is thus a must, and the Flagrant 1s will be fine for TNT so long as he can return to the court without limitations. 

The PBA and even the NBA have shown us that 3-0 and 3-1 series leads are not the end of the world and the TNT Tropang 5G have taken the first step in making a comeback for the ages. Whether or not they complete the daunting task is still anyone’s guess, but they’ve shown a fighting spirit not a lot of teams in their situation would have had. And that may very well be the spark that gets their momentum going.