The Barangay Ginebra San Miguel unloaded big shots to stun the TNT Tropang 5G in Game 1, but the series is far from finished. Will the Tropang 5G respond in Game 2 with a win to tie the series up at 1-1? Or, will Barangay move two wins closer to a Commissioner’s Cup title?

Catch this game live on Friday,  June 5, 2026 at 7:30pm, Manila time.

Barangay Ginebra San Miguel (1-0)

Projected Starting Five:

  • RJ Abarrientos
  • Scottie Thompson
  • Stephen Holt
  • Justin Brownlee
  • Japeth Aguilar

Ginebra called Justin Brownlee’s number and he delivered, with the all-time great import stepping up in the clutch and burying a game-winning jumper in the Barangay’s 102-100 win in Game 1. 

Brownlee finished the series opener with 23 points on 10/21 shooting with eight assists and four rebounds. But Brownlee’s clutch heroics wouldn’t have taken place without the RJ Abarrientos’ wild shotmaking. 

Abarrientos had two 4-pointers late in the fourth quarter on his way to a team-high 24-point night. It wasn’t just the big-time shots that paved the way for the Barangay’s victory. It was also their great ball movement, as they had 30 assists to only 17 by TNT. 

Brownlee, Abarrientos and Scottie Thompson combined for 21 of those dimes, and with three talented passers who can also get buckets, Ginebra is tough to trap defensively. It is also a reason why Troy Rosario was able to compile 16 sneaky points. Tim Cone’s team will look to sustain that momentum this Friday.

TNT Tropang 5G (0-1)

Projected Starting Five:

  • Jayson Castro
  • RR Pogoy
  • Calvin Oftana
  • Kelly Williams
  • Chris McCullough

TNT didn’t look bad in Game 1. A couple more plays and bounces going the Tropang 5G’s way in the series opener would have probably given them the 1-0 series lead instead of trailing Ginebra early in the Finals. 

But that’s all behind TNT now (including the controversial no-call late in the game). Chris McCollough and RR Pogoy led the team with 25 and 22 points, respectively, while Rey Nambatac showed up and scored 19 points.

What was missing was Jordan Heading’s production, as he only took five shots from the field for a paltry total of five points. But there’s only so much to be said about TNT’s shot distribution in that contest, as the team still shot 50.7 percent from the floor and 35.7 percent (10/28) from behind the arc. 

Game 1 simply boiled down to Ginebra making more big shots down the stretch. But TNT should also focus on its ball security, as the Barangay scored 27 points off the Tropang 5G’s 15 turnovers. One positive takeaway from that contest for the Tropang 5G was their plus-11 advantage on the glass and plus-11 edge in second-chance points.

Picks

Spread: TNT Tropang 5G (-3.5)

Over/Under: Under (195.5)