- TNT Tropang 5G and Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings begin their best-of-seven PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals showdown.
June 3, Wednesday – Smart Araneta Coliseum
- 7:30pm – Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings vs TNT Tropang 5G
LIVE UPDATES: 2026 PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals Game 1 – Ginebra vs TNT
- END OF FIRST QUARTER: Ginebra leads TNT, 30-25.
- Ginebra back within the lead, 27-25, with 3 freethrows from Scottie.
- Calvin Oftana for 3. TNT ties the sport at 25.
- Oftana two freethrows. TNT inside 25-22.
- Khobuntin with a reverse layup. TNT behind by five, 25-20.
- BGR scores. TNT down 18-23.
- Jeremiah Gray joins the 3-point shooting party. 21-16 Ginebra.
- 4/5 3-point shooting for Ginebra to this point. They lead 16-14.
- One other 3 from RJ Abarrientos. Ginebra takes the primary lead of the sport, 13-12. 6:10 in the primary.
- RJ Abarrientos responds with a 3 of his own. Ginebra still down 12-10.
- Nambatac heating up early. He scores one other 3. 12-7 lead for TNT.
- Scottie Thompson 3. Ginebra trails 9-7.
- Rey Nambatac early 3. TNT 7-5 lead.
- Japeth Aguilar scores Ginebra’s first basket.
- 4-0 start for Tropang 5G.
- TNT starters: Rey Nambatac, Calvin Oftana, RR Pogoy, Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser, Chris McCullough.
- Ginebra starting 5: RJ Abarrientos, Scottie Thompson, Stephen Holt, Japeth Aguilar and Justin Brownlee
Jordan Heading along with his usual barefoot routine before Game 1 of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals. #PBAFinals | @jonasterradoINQ
Follow our PBA live updates here: https://t.co/zCfs46F8yH pic.twitter.com/BUSSfhyhFh
— INQUIRER Sports (@inquirersports) June 3, 2026
Calvin Oftana warms up before the beginning of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals. #PBAFinals | @jonasterradoINQ
Follow our PBA live updates here: https://t.co/zCfs46F8yH pic.twitter.com/tntr5daNks
— INQUIRER Sports (@inquirersports) June 3, 2026
Isaac Go is finally set to play in his first PBA Finals after being injured within the previous two Ginebra-TNT meetings. #PBAFinals | @jonasterradoINQ pic.twitter.com/8WnU4Mwz0w
— INQUIRER Sports (@inquirersports) June 3, 2026
Jayson Castro making his first PBA Finals appearance since TNT won all of it against Ginebra within the 2024 Governors’ Cup title series. Castro was Finals MVP of that showdown. #PBAFinals | @jonasterradoINQ
Follow our PBA live updates here: https://t.co/zCfs46F8yH pic.twitter.com/iKbc0PjZL3
— INQUIRER Sports (@inquirersports) June 3, 2026
Chris McCullough during his arrival before Game 1 of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals #PBAFinals | @jonasterradoINQ pic.twitter.com/ER64TI783Y
— INQUIRER Sports (@inquirersports) June 3, 2026
Justin Brownlee set for his tenth PBA Finals appearance and can seek a record seventh title #PBAFinals @inquirersports pic.twitter.com/WkwP6plWmC
— Jonas Terrado (@jonasterradoINQ) June 3, 2026
Rey Nambatac was Finals MVP the last time TNT and Ginebra met for the championship #PBAFinals @inquirersports pic.twitter.com/F9TjyZO3sP
— Jonas Terrado (@jonasterradoINQ) June 3, 2026
Scottie Thompson, twice named Finals MVP, looks to set in motion Ginebra’s quest to finish a three-year title drought #PBAFinals @inquirersports pic.twitter.com/Pdxnm0diTC
— Jonas Terrado (@jonasterradoINQ) June 3, 2026
Kelly Williams, within the PBA Finals for the nth time, among the many early birds #PBAFinals @inquirersports pic.twitter.com/8zwqT77YBh
— Jonas Terrado (@jonasterradoINQ) June 3, 2026
Good afternoon from Smart Araneta Coliseum for the beginning of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals between Barangay Ginebra and TNT. Game 1 suggestions off at 7:30 p.m. #PBAFinals @inquirersports pic.twitter.com/cNMmWr0RV8
— Jonas Terrado (@jonasterradoINQ) June 3, 2026
Scottie Thompson and Barangay Ginebra head into their PBA Commissioner’s Cup title showdown with TNT on Wednesday carrying lessons from their previous defeats by the hands of the identical foe and hardened by a tricky semifinal series against Rain or Shine.
And Thompson hopes that the 7:30 p.m. encounter at Smart Araneta Coliseum can be the stepping stone for the Gin Kings to finally recover from the road and end a three-year championship drought that gave the look of ages for a team used to success.
“We are going to use that as motivation,” Thompson said, as Ginebra eyes its first title for the reason that 2022-2023 Commissioner’s Cup when it prevailed over the guest team Bay Area Dragons before 54,000 fans at Philippine Arena.
Championships have eluded the gang favorites since, with their next three Finals trips ending in defeats, all against TNT.
TNT guard Jordan Heading reacts during Game 6 of the PBA semifinals against Meralco. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines—TNT was just one title away last season from completing a rare Grand Slam.
Nonetheless, those dreams were halted after they fell to San Miguel Beer within the Philippine Cup Finals. They suffered one other Finals loss to the Beermen this season in the identical conference.
Considered one of the major guys during those Finals runs was Jordan Heading, who made his conference debut with the Tropang 5G in last yr’s All-Filipino conference.
But as an alternative of a championship celebration, TNT ended up falling short, a moment Heading hopes to rewrite this time within the Commissioner’s Cup Finals against Barangay Ginebra.
“This implies the whole lot. While you lose within the finals, it sticks with you,” said Heading. “The entire offseason, that’s all I considered, after I train within the morning, that’s all I take into consideration.”
Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings’ RJ Abarrientos during a game within the PBA Commissioner’s Cup. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines—While most players would feel the pressure of facing a PBA legend within the Finals, RJ Abarrientos is just having fun with the moment.
Abarrientos, set for his third Finals appearance, enters the Commissioner’s Cup championship series with a likelihood to go head-to-head with PBA legend Jayson Castro.
For some, that will be a frightening challenge. For Abarrientos, it’s a dream come true.
“I still feel like I’m dreaming,” Abarrientos said. “I’m grateful that I get to face someone who I only watched before within the Finals. I’m just grateful to face Kuya Jayson. He’s healthy now, he’s back to the Finals and I’m looking forward to that.”
Chris McCullough (right) has a likelihood at winning a second PBA title with a distinct team. —MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
Chris McCullough admits that he’s still within the technique of being in sync along with his teammates after three games into his role as TNT’s alternative import.
Getting together with RR Pogoy, whose history with McCullough has been a source of talk on social media, didn’t have complications, though.
“Oh, we’re friends, man,” McCullough said on Monday when select members of the Finals protagonists Tropang 5G and Barangay Ginebra gathered at Novotel Manila for the customary press conference before the best-of-seven series for the PBA Commissioner’s Cup title.
That elicited laughs contained in the ballroom where the 2 teams met yet one more time before the series gets happening Wednesday on the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
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