McCullough finds – After a rough Game 4, TNT import Chris McCullough found his rhythm in Game 5—dropping 42 points and 11 rebounds—to help the Tropang 5G beat Meralco 103-95 and take a pivotal 3-2 lead in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinals.
MANILA, Philippines—By the time TNT walked into Smart Araneta Coliseum on Friday, Chris McCullough’s season looked like it needed a reset.
Game 4 had gone the wrong way. In TNT’s 101-90 loss to Meralco in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinals, McCullough returned after a long layoff but struggled to get going—scoring 24 points while grabbing nine rebounds, yet making just seven of his 22 field-goal attempts.
Then Game 5 arrived, and everything changed.
McCullough rediscovered his groove to power the Tropang 5G to a 103-95 win over the Meralco Bolts in Game 5, handing TNT a pivotal 3-2 series lead.
The turnaround didn’t happen quietly. McCullough exploded for a monster double-double of 42 points and 11 rebounds, and it gave TNT the push it needed after the stumble in Game 4.
Coach Chot Reyes noticed the shift right away, pointing to the preparation that came after Game 4. “We played the last game with two practices so now he had the benefits of a game and an extra practice. He got acclimatized with his teammates and what he wanted to do,” Reyes said.
Reyes also stressed the conditioning piece—what TNT needed most when the game tightened. “This is a tough league so I thought we were able to do a good job in pacing him and he had legs in the fourth quarter and that’s all we needed.”
TNT credited the same improvement to sharper opportunities as well. “We gave Chris good shots and good looks. That helped us tremendously,” Reyes said.
For TNT, the message is clear: McCullough’s Game 5 performance put the team just one win away from returning to the PBA Finals. They can close out the series on Sunday in Game 6 at Ynares Sports Center in Antipolo.
PBA Commissioner’s Cup TNT Tropang 5G Meralco Bolts Chris McCullough Chot Reyes Game 5 Game 6 semifinals
42 and 11 is crazy. TNT better not choke again.
So he “found his rhythm” after Game 4… meaning he was just tired or the coach changed something? Either way 3-2 lead sounds good but I swear these teams always get weird in game 6.
Wait I’m confused, Game 4 they lost 101-90, so how does that translate to him “needed a reset” like… did he just not play enough minutes or something? Also why is it at Smart Araneta then Sunday in Antipolo, like the schedule matters more than his practice lol
I don’t follow PBA heavy but 42 points?? That’s like superstar NBA stuff. Coach saying two practices and “legs in the fourth” sounds like PR to me, but hey it worked. If they close Sunday, everyone’s gonna act like it was obvious. Also Meralco kinda fell apart right? Idk just my vibes.