He may be the odd man out in a group that knows one another like a book, but Chris McCullough already projects that the PBA Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup Finals between TNT and Ginebra will be talked about for a long while.

“I think this is truly gonna be one of the PBA Finals that’s gonna be remembered for a long time,” offered the former San Miguel Beer import during the pre-Finals press conference at the Novotel Manila Araneta City in Cubao.

It’s quite an interesting take for somebody who’s making his first appearance in this age-old rivalry, but the 31-year-old sure knows a thing or two about the squads battling for gold for the fourth time in the last eight conferences.

His new team, TNT, for one, was the very same franchise he and the Beermen beat on the way to ruling the 2019 Commissioner’s Cup, and so he knew their quality way before joining them as Bol Bol’s replacement.

And definitely, he’s grown even more familiar with the way they do things, now that he has played three games with the Tropang 5G–games that were crucial as they led to their ouster of sister team Meralco in the semifinals.

Then there’s the Barangay. He’s never fought against the crowd darlings before, but the Syracuse product has been aware of their legend, more so about their NSD spirit, which was on display against Rain or Shine in the Final Four.

Add to that his familiarity with Justin Brownlee, who turns out to be someone he’s known for so long, when they were still making names for themselves.

“Great team, we’re going up against a great player. This is going to be one of the ones that’s gonna be remembered,” McCullough said.

The former NBA pro’s presence serves as one of the many layers to yet another Finals meeting between two proud ball clubs, and it would be truly interesting to see how he’d affect the entire best-of-7 affair that begins later tonight.

And it opens at the SMART Araneta Coliseum, the very same venue where ‘C-Mac’ won his maiden PBA championship and also where TNT and Ginebra played the classic Game 7 of the Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup Finals.

(C) PBA Images

Game 1 of the Finals is set later at 7:30 p.m., and according to the Casino Plus sportsbook, Ginebra is favored to win, with the handicap set at -3.

Wagers can be placed here: https://www.casinoplus.com.ph/home/inGame?name=basketball&title=SportBet.

The Tropa, as we all know, won that bout, 87-83, and history is actually in their favor as it marked the third straight time that they beat the Kings in the Finals, with Rondae Hollis-Jefferson serving as the lynchpin of those triumphs.

But the 3-time Best Import is out due to an Achilles injury, making McCullough among the centers of attention in this highly anticipated rematch.

“It’s a very different series this time,” head coach Chot Reyes reflected. “First of all, we have a different team because of the import that we have. The key, I think, is our ability to continuously adjust and adapt to Ginebra’s game.”

“And for me personally, my only objective is to be able to play at a high level. Because that’s the only way we can compete,” he added.

However, it won’t just be about who’s the better reinforcement, as the local stars are just as important, with TNT leaning on Roger Pogoy, Calvin Oftana, and Jordan Heading, who has regained his touch in the latter part of the semis.

Then of course, there’s the ageless Kelly Williams and Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser, both of whom have been sharing frontcourt duties.

Over at the Kings, there’s RJ Abarrientos, who’s the presumptive Best Player of the Conference, especially after a sterling series against the Elasto Painters, capped by back-to-back 30-point showings to close out their foes.

There’s also Scottie Thompson, who’s back to his ‘superstar role player’ mode now that he’s gotten more comfortable with Abarrientos as a running mate–a role previously assumed by future Hall of Famer LA Tenorio.

“It’s not fun being the second-place team,” offered Coach Tim Cone, who’s looking to grow his record collection of league championships to 26. “Both teams are deserving to be here. One’s going to come out on top.”

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Janine Pontejos wasted no time making her presence felt, powering Akari-Rizal to a dominant 100-67 victory over her former team Caloocan in the 2026 Women’s Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League on Wednesday at the MRB Gymnasium.

Pontejos, who was dealt to the Sparks alongside Rejoice Adlawan in exchange for Angel Anies and a second-round pick last week, torched her former squad with five triples en route to 21 points and five assists in just 16 minutes of action in her Akari-Rizal debut.

The win carried bigger implications for the Sparks, who secured at least a twice-to-beat incentive in the quarterfinals after improving to 6-1 and climbing to the top of the standings.

(C) WMPBL

Akari-Rizal remain in prime position to secure an outright semifinals berth as they continue their strong run in the tournament supported by Aktive.

The Sparks never looked back after a blistering start, racing to a 26-8 lead in the opening quarter and maintaining full control throughout. Akari-Rizal led by as many as 40 points in the fourth quarter following a Galicia layup that made it 92-52 with 4:09 remaining, sealing a wire-to-wire win.

“We need this win because we want this to be a springboard going into the next games dahil medyo, I would say malalakas ‘yung kalaban because we got Biñan and Batangas,” said Sparks head coach Derick Pumaren.

“We have to be ready for that kaya we didn’t take things for granted in this game,” he added.

Allana Lim added 15 points, four rebounds, and three assists, while Joanne Nagma contributed 10 points and five rebounds in less than 11 minutes of action for Akari-Rizal.

Jhenn Angeles finished with nine points, four assists, and three rebounds, while Camille Sambile tallied eight points, three assists, and two rebounds as the Sparks stretched their winning streak to four.

(C) WMPBL

Meanwhile, the Lady Kankaloo fell to 1-6 in the standings but remain in contention for a twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals, needing to win their final three games to stay in the race.

Janeth Sison led Caloocan with 13 points and four rebounds, while Tin Capilit and Sofia Felisarta added 10 points each.

The Scores:

Akari-Rizal 100 – Pontejos 21, Lim 15, Nagma 10, Angeles 9, Sambile 8, Galicia 6, Prado 6, Palmera-Dy 5, Del Prado 4, Adlawan 4, Candelario 4, Ventura 3, Salapong 3, Abatayo 2, Flor 0

Caloocan 67 – Sison 13, Felisarta 10, Capilit 10, Anies 7, Camagong 7, Lorenzvi 6, Pedregosa 4, Serrano 4, Candido 3, Galgerra 1, Gonzalo 2, Ngo 0, Marcos 0, Madrid 0

Quarterscores: 26-8, 54-25, 77-40, 100-67

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In a thrilling exhibition of grit, talent, and tactical mastery, the Uganda Christian University (UCU) Lady Canons have firmly cemented their legacy at the pinnacle of African university basketball.

The powerhouse squad successfully defended their Federation of African University Sports (FASU) Afro Varsity 3×3 Championship title, dismantling Kenya’s United States International University (USIU-Africa) 21-15 in a high-stakes grand finale.

The spectacular victory does more than just keep the continental crown in Mukono; it formally seals the Lady Canons’ ticket to the grandest stage of all—the 2026 FISU University 3×3 World Cup, set to ignite Macau, China, this upcoming October.

The tournament was a masterclass in dominance for the UCU quartet comprising Martina Anyango, Shillah Lamunu, Sylvia Nakituuka, and Zoe Atek.

Entering the competition as the team to beat, the Lady Canons effortlessly absorbed the pressure, executing a flawless, undefeated campaign.

They kicked off their titledefencee by tearing through Pool B, picking up statement wins over Nigeria’s Afe Babalola University and the University of Abuja.

Transitioning into the knockout stages, they locked down defensively to stifle Kenya’s Kisii University 14-8 in the quarter-finals, before putting on an offensive clinic against hosts Obafemi Awolowo University to cruise through the semi-finals with a 16-7 win.

The final set the stage for an intense, familiar rivalry. For the third consecutive year, UCU and USIU-Africa collided in the championship match.

But despite the pressure of a roaring Nigerian crowd and a relentless Kenyan opponent, the Lady Canons refused to flinch.

Showcasing the icy composure that has come to define their program, the Ugandan side dictated the tempo from the opening whistle.

Their crisp passing, lethal perimeter shooting, and aggressive rebounding wore down the Kenyan defence, culminating in a decisive 21-15 victory.

With this triumph, UCU shifts from regional heavyweights to global ambassadors, preparing to shoulder the hopes of both Uganda and the entire African continent in Macau.

While the women celebrated historic gold, it was a tale of heartbreak and near-misses for the UCU Canons in the men’s division.

The men’s roster consisting of Joel Kayiira, Solomon Olara, Flore Dushime, and Marvin Okurut—showed tremendous heart throughout the tournament.

After an impressive group stage and a commanding 13-9 quarter-final victory over the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Haute École de Commerce de Kinshasa (HEC), the Canons ran into a brick wall in the semi-finals, falling 19-13 to the host institution, the University of Ibadan.

Forced into a gruelling bronze-medal playoff, the men faced their own USIU-Africa rivals. Exhausted from their semi-final battle, the Canons struggled to find their rhythm, ultimately conceding a 21-13 defeat to finish just outside the podium spots in fourth place.

Despite the men’s podium heartbreak, the mood in the UCU camp remains overwhelmingly triumphant.

Leaving Ibadan as back-to-back continental champions is no small feat, and the Lady Canons have officially established themselves as a basketball dynasty.

As the celebrations settle, the focus instantly pivots to thegruellingg training camps ahead. Come October, the world will be watching as UCU takes its brand of fearless, fast-paced Ugandan basketball to the global arena in China.

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