The TNT Tropang 5G are on the verge of clinching a spot in the Finals,  but the Meralco Bolts still have a say in this series. Will TNT close it all out this Sunday? Or, will the Bolts force a Game 7? 

Catch this game live on Sunday,  May 31, 2026 at 07:30 PM, Manila time.

Meralco Bolts (2-3)

Projected Starting Five:

  • Jason Brickman
  • C.J. Cansino
  • Chris Newsome
  • Clifford Hodge
  • Patrick Gardner

The Bolts are in desperation mode, as they are a loss away from getting their dreams of winning the title dashed. That’s after their 103-95 loss in Game 5 on Friday. New Meralco import Patrick Gardner top-scored for Meralco with 25 points, shooting 8/18 from the floor while grabbing 12 boards, including eight on the offensive glass. 

Gardner has seemingly already adjusted to the PBA, but the other reliables for the Bolts didn’t quite deliver. CJ Cansino, after scoring 17 points in Game 4, only had four points in Game 5. Jason Brickman had only two points, though he dished out five assists for Meralco, which got only 53 points from its starters to TNT’s 76. 

Javee Mocon and Aaron Black provided spark off the bench in Game 5, providing 21 points and six assists combined, and they will be counted upon again this Sunday, but Meralco’s starters have to definitely set the tone early against the Tropang 5G, who seemed to have figured out playing with their new import.

TNT Tropang 5G (3-2)

Projected Starting Five:

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

TNT has long been Meralco’s big brother, and the Tropang 5G will look to completely prove that again in Game 6, as they go for the jugular.  With Chris McCullough having already played two games with them, the Tropang 5G hope for another big performance from the former Syracuse Orange forward. 

In Game 5, the 31-year-old McCullough unloaded 42 points with 11 boards. McCullough is new to TNT, but he’s been in the PBA before and won a championship in the league. He’s using that familiarity in the PBA to outplay Gardner, and that could be the case again in this potential closeout game for TNT.

Adding to Meralco’s headache is the pair of RR Pogoy and Jordan Heading, who had 16 and 22 points in Game 5, respectively. Those are two weapons the Tropang 5G can always rely on to at least spread the floor and cause Meralco’s offense to collapse not just because of they are such dangerous perimeter threats but also because of their overall playmaking. Heading, for one, had six assists in Game 5.

Picks

Spread: Meralco Bolts (-4.5)

Over/Under: Over (187.0)