It all comes down to one game to determine the champion of the 2024-25 Commissioners’ Cup. The Barangay Ginebra San Miguel had a 3-2 series lead and a chance to win it all last Wednesday but the TNT Tropang Giga simply refused to lose, forcing the series to a winner-take-all Game 7. Only one question remains: who takes home the crown?
Catch this game live on Friday, March 28, 2025 at 7:30 pm, Manila time.
TNT Tropang Giga (3-3)
Projected Starting Five:
- Rey Nambatac
- RR Pogoy
- Calvin Oftana
- Rondae Hollis-Jefferson
- Kelly Williams
There is another game to be played in this series because of the players who stepped up for TNT in Game 6, particularly Poy Erram. The much-maligned big man came up huge for the Tropang Giga in their 87-83 win on Wednesday. The former Defensive Player of the Year delivered the goods on both ends of the floor in Game 6, finishing with 14 points, six rebounds, a steal and a block.
Erram’s focus in Game 7 will be crucial for TNT. Meanwhile, Rey Nambatac continues to be the gift that keeps on giving for the Tropang Giga. He had 23 points in Game 6, making key baskets while taking defensive attention away from Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. Over the last four games, the former Letran star has put up 19.8 points while recording an incredible 69.5 TS%. Holls-Jefferson shot 10-for-21 in Game 6 for 29 points, a much more efficient outing than in the previous two games, but also notable was his being 8-for-12 from the foul line. So long as he is getting plenty of trips to the foul line, the Tropang Giga could survive his inefficient nights from the field.
Barangay Ginebra San Miguel (3-3)
Projected Starting Five:
- Scottie Thompson
- Jamie Malonzo
- Justin Brownlee
- Troy Rosario
- Japeth Aguilar
Ginebra will always have the “home-court advantage,” and that factor could not be more important and more pronounced than in this Friday’s game. With everything on the line for both teams, Ginebra will have a crowd enough to fill villages backing the team in Game 7. As for the tangibles, the Barangay have the 1-2 punch of Justin Brownlee and Scottie Thompson.
Brownlee had 22 points on a near-perfect 9-for-10 shooting in Game 6, while the former PBA Most Valuable Player had 12 points on 4-for-12 shooting with two 3-pointers. The two combined for 13 boards and eight assists but also had 11 turnovers. Thompson even finished with a game-worst minus-13, for what it’s worth. For Ginebra, it could go down to how much will the team get from the supporting cast like RJ Abarrientos, Jamie Malonzo and Maverick Ahanmisi. Anyone is capable of producing quality scoring performances for Barangay. In Game 4, Malonzo had 24 points and in Game 5, Ahanmisi scored 11 points off the bench.
Picks
Spread: Ginebra (-2.0)
Over/Under: Over (172.5)
