Basketball
McCullough sees TNT-Ginebra PBA Finals as a series for the ages
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.”
The post McCullough sees TNT-Ginebra PBA Finals as a series for the ages appeared first on Tiebreaker Times.
Biñan-Tatak Gel kept its outright semifinal hopes alive with an 87-48 shellacking of Caloocan in the 2026 Women’s Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League at the Uratex Showroom in Muntinlupa on Sunday.
The Angels, coming off a narrow 48-52 loss to the Akari-Rizal Sparks, bounced back in dominant fashion to improve to 6-3 and move into solo third place.
The victory also secured Biñan-Tatak Gel an elimination-round head-to-head sweep of Caloocan in the league backed by Aktive, after also winning their first-round encounter, 102-67.
(C) WMPBL
“Good win, at least na-run namin ‘yung mga pinag-ensayuhan namin dito sa laro na ito,” said Angels head coach Jack Azcueta.
“Hopefully, makuha rin namin ‘yung next game para heading into the playoffs mataas ‘yung kumpyansa ng mga bata,” he added, as Biñan looks to close out the elimination round strong next Sunday against RK Hoops-Quezon City 10 ACT.
Trailing by just five after the opening quarter, Biñan-Tatak Gel took control in the second period, outscoring Caloocan, 25-12, to build a 40-22 halftime lead.
From there, the floodgates opened as the Angels stretched the margin to as many as 42 points behind the combined efforts of Justine Domingo, Luisa San Juan, and Eka Soriano, who spearheaded a 31-7 third-quarter run for a 71-29 lead.
It was a total team effort for Biñan, with 10 players scoring at least four points, led by Domingo’s 12.
Danica Pacia posted a double-double of 10 points and 12 rebounds, while Ria Nabalan and Soriano added 10 points apiece.
San Juan chipped in nine points and seven rebounds while finishing a game-high plus-27 in just 15 minutes and 24 seconds of action.
(C) WMPBL
Janeth Sison and Tin Capilit scored eight points each as the Lady Kankaloo absorbed their third consecutive loss to fall to 1-7.
Caloocan will next face Quezon City on Wednesday.
The Scores:
Biñan-Tatak Gel 87 – Domingo 12, Nabalan 10, Pacia 10, Soriano 10, San Juan 9, Abaca 8, Quingco 6, Gonato 5, Del Carmen 4, Faraon 4, Paraiso 2, Geli 2, Jimenez 2, Santos 2, Cabinbin 1.
Caloocan 48 – Capilit 8, Sison 8, Camagong 7, Pedregosa 7, Serrano 7, Felisarta 5, Batnag 3, Marcos 2, Alpanghi 1, Candido 0, Gonzalo 0, Vega 0, Madrid 0.
Quarterscores: 15-10, 40-22, 71-29, 87-48.
The post Biñan-Tatak Gel unloads on Caloocan, stays in outright semis race in WMPBL appeared first on Tiebreaker Times.
Abra Solid North handed Meycauayan Marilao a harsh reality check on Friday in the MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) 2026 Season at the One Arena Cainta in Rizal Province.
The defending champions cruised to a dominant 101-75 victory in the nightcap to improve to 10-1, moving closer to the leaders in the round-robin elimination phase of the two-division, 28-team tournament.
Abra remains behind North Division leader Caloocan (11-1) and just ahead of San Juan (9-1) in the race for playoff positioning. In the South Division, Quezon Province leads with an unbeaten 8-0 record, followed by General Santos City at 12-1.
Jake Figueroa paced the Weavers with 12 points, eight rebounds, and two assists, earning Best Player of the Game honors. He received ample support from Shaun Ildefonso, who finished with 15 points and eight rebounds, and Encho Serrano, who added 13 points and three assists. Fil-Am DJ Fenner chipped in nine points and four rebounds.
Mike Ayonayon capped Abra’s dominance with an alley-oop finish off a Nico Elorde pass that stretched the lead to its largest at 88-53 with 5:46 remaining.
The loss snapped Meycauayan Marilao’s five-game winning streak as the Gems dropped to 7-4. Jayson Apolonio led the team with 22 points, six rebounds, two assists, and two steals, while Agem Miranda scored 14 points.
Jimboy Pasturan contributed 12 points, three rebounds, and four assists, and Shawn Argente added 11 points.
Abra controlled the rebounding battle, 53-32, with 6-foot-8 Drex Delos Reyes grabbing seven boards to help Figueroa and Ildefonso.
In the earlier game, Parañaque leaned on a stellar performance from Marlon Monte to upset Imus, 102-96, and snap a 13-game losing streak.
Monte erupted for a career-high 34 points, including 18 in the pivotal third quarter, while also collecting six rebounds, five assists, and two steals to earn Best Player of the Game honors. Domark Matillano also played a key role with 17 points, 11 rebounds, and three steals.
Samuel Peralta contributed 14 points, five rebounds, three assists, and two steals, while Jomar Santos added 12 points, two rebounds, and two assists. Jobert Medina chipped in nine points, six rebounds, and three assists, while Ryusei Koha orchestrated the offense with 11 assists to go along with five points and two steals.
Imus fell to 2-10 despite strong performances from Eroll Soriano, who tallied 24 points and eight rebounds, and Jordan Rios, who posted 21 points, 15 rebounds, three steals, and two assists. Regie Boy Basibas added 17 points, six rebounds, and three assists, while Joseph Mark Marquez recorded 14 points, 15 rebounds, and three assists. Janjan Salazar finished with 13 points, 12 assists, three rebounds, and three steals.
Meanwhile, Marikina was awarded a 20-0 forfeiture victory over Iloilo in the second game, improving to 5-8.
Iloilo dropped to 2-8. Under FIBA rules, the official score for a forfeited game is 20-0.
The MPBL returns to the One Arena Cainta on Saturday with a triple-header featuring Biñan against Zamboanga at 4 p.m., Caloocan versus Mindoro at 6 p.m., and Batangas taking on Negros at 8 p.m.
–//
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UCU Lady Canons delivered a masterclass performance on Friday, securing a commanding 71-48 victory over the JKL Lady Dolphins in a highly anticipated National Basketball League (NBL) encounter at the Lugogo Indoor Arena.
With the emphatic win, the Lady Canons completed a regular-season double against the defending champions, who are currently chasing their fourth consecutive NBL title.
Despite the setback, the Lady Dolphins enter their final regular-season game still holding onto an impressive overall record, having come into Friday’s matchup on the back of a strong winning streak.
The Lady Canons set the tone early in the match, suffocating their opponents defensively while executing flawlessly on offence.
Sylivia Nakituuka capped off a dominant opening quarter with a brilliant three-point jump shot, giving the Lady Canons a commanding 17-point lead at 24-07.
Things only worsened for the defending champions in the second period. The Lady Canons’ relentless defence restricted the Lady Dolphins to just seven points in the quarter, allowing UCU to head into the long halftime break with a massive 29-point cushion.
The Lady Dolphins managed to find some footing after halftime, matching the Lady Canons 17-17 in a competitive third quarter. However, the damage had already been done, and UCU maintained their comfortable 29-point advantage heading into the final frame.
In the fourth quarter, the Lady Dolphins mounted a spirited late rally to outscore UCU, but the deficit proved far too large to overcome, with the game concluding in a 23-point margin of victory for the Canons.
Sylivia Nakituuka led the charge for the Lady Canons with a game-high 19 points, supported by Sylivia Nantongo, who chipped in 12 points.
The Lady Dolphins’ offence was spearheaded by Tamasha Nsubuga with 16 points and Charity Nantalo with 11 points, alongside contributions from Shadia Nassanga.
The post UCU Lady Canons stun JKL Lady Dolphins with dominant victory appeared first on Kawowo Sports.
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