TNT was the first to reach the PBA Philippine Cup finals as it finally slammed the door on a hard-fighting Rain or Shine side in their best-of-seven semis.
The Tropang 5G scored eight straight unanswered points late in hammering out the 97-89 win to wrap up the series, 4-2.
READ: Grand slam-seeking TNT overcomes injury jinx, ROS to reach PBA Finals
The finals will be the third straight stint for the franchise in Season 49, putting it on track of scoring a coveted grand slam.
It now awaits its championship opponent as top seed San Miguel and Barangay Ginebra are set to duke it out in a deciding Game 7 in their own semis series.
Behind the big guns and big heart of veteran leader LA Tenorio, the Kings forged a sudden-death match following a thrilling 88-87 win in Game 6 courtesy of a Tenorio clutch three in the final two seconds.
Game 7 is on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
READ: Clutch Tenorio trey saves Ginebra season, forces Game 7 vs SMB
Here’s a look back though, on the takeaways in Sunday night’s semis games at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
1.GINEBRA'S PERIMETER GAME BESTS SMB'S FRONTCOURT EDGE
The Kings countered the Beermen’s advantage in the frontcourt through good perimeter shooting. Ginebra outscored San Miguel from the outside, 42-26. More so, Ginebra shot better from the three-point line (8-of-34) compared to San Miguel (4-of-19).
Tenorio was a perfect 3-of-3 from downtown, the most significant of which came in the final two seconds as he buried one of the most memorable game winners in Barangay Ginebra lore.
READ: LA's magical shot again reminds us why sports is so great
With June Mar Fajardo around, San Miguel was dominant in the paint, 48-38.
2.TNT EYES GRAND SLAM AS SIXTH SEEDED TEAM
The Tropang 5G will try to cap their amazing season by going for a third straight conference title as the sixth seeded unit.
According to resident league statistician Fidel Mangonon III, TNT is the lowest seeded team to advance in the finals in the last three seasons or since Barangay Ginebra won the 2021 Governors’ Cup championship at the expense of the Meralco Bolts.
The Kings were also seeded sixth when they pulled off the feat. Can the Tropang 5G repeat the same magic?
3.GAME 6 LOSS SPOILS RODNEY BRONDIAL’S DOUBLE-DOUBLE
The gritty forward was one of the reasons for the Beermen’s dominance in the middle as he finished with 12 points and 12 rebounds on 6-of-7 shooting in the loss.
The former Adamson stalwart grabbed eight rebounds in the fourth quarter and scored sixth straight points in a 10-1 Beermen run that put them on top, 80-71, with seven minutes left in the game.
But the Kings countered by outscoring the Beermen the rest of the way, 17-7, for the game-tying win of the semis series.
4.JORDAN HEADING PROVING WORTH FOR DEPLETED TNT
With TNT playing hobbled in a close-out game, it turned to Jordan Heading and he delivered.
The 29-year-old guard scored his highest output in a TNT uniform with 29 points to finally put away Rain or Shine.
He also had three rebounds, four assists, and two steals, while shooting 10-of-17 from the two-point zone. Heading was only 1-of-7 from three-point range, but that lone trey proved to be the dagger as it put the Tropang 5G in firm control, 88-80, with 2:39 left in the game.
This is the very reason why TNT gambled to acquire the Fil-Australian gunner despite an uncertain health issue owing to his recurring back spasm.
5.CAELAN TIONGSON SAVES BEST FOR LAST
It was Rain or Shine’s final game of the season and the rookie big man found time to shine by finishing with a season-high 30 points in a losing cause.
Aside from his six rebounds, the Fil-Am forward was 10-of-15 from the field, including a combined 4-of-6 from both the four-point and three-point lines, respectively.
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