BELL RINGS FOR ALL-FILIPINO FINALS REMATCH BETWEEN SMB, TNT

SAN Miguel and TNT square off again, as the PBA 50th Season Philippine Cup finals begin on Wednesday at the Ynares Center-Antipolo.

The Beermen and the Tropang 5G are coming off hard-earned victories in the semifinals last week to arrange another tussle for the All-Filipino title.

READ: Here's why there are no Big Dome games in PBA Finals

Here is a preview of Game 1.

TNT VS. SAN MIGUEL

When: Wednesday, January 21. 7:30 p.m.

Where: Ynares Center-Antipolo

Finals rematch begins

San Miguel and TNT start their Philippine Cup finals rematch in Game 1. The Beermen went home with the crown the last time they faced each other during the 49th Season All-Filipino finals, winning the series, 4-2, and ending the Tropang 5G’s Grand Slam bid.

Elimination round match-up

San Miguel beat TNT, 110-95, in their elimination round campaign last December 5 at the Ynares Center-Antipolo, with Cjay Perez exploding with 33 points on 11-of-17 shooting from the field and June Mar Fajardo tallying 13 points and 17 rebounds.

Perez, Heading fresh from high-scoring ways

Perez and Jordan Heading will look to continue to produce on the offensive end after their notable closeout games.

Perez had 30 of his 41 points in the first quarter in San Miguel’s 101-88 win over Barangay Ginebra to secure the Game 6 victory.

TNT's Jordan Heading PHOTO: Mark Cristino

Heading had 31 points including the go-ahead basket off a steal in Game 5 to lift TNT to a 99-96 win over Meralco in Game 5.

Bigs match-up

The major match-up to watch in this series is the bigs with all eyes on Fajardo. The nine-time MVP will be teaming up with Mo Tautuaa and Rodney Brondial, and they will be up against Kelly Williams, Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser, Poy Erram, and Henry Galinato Jr.

Pogoy out due to hamstring injury

RR Pogoy will not be around for Game 1 of the finals, as he is dealing with a hamstring injury. Pogoy, though, is expected to be back later in the series, but TNT will have to win the first few games without him.

Nambatac out to redeem himself

Rey Nambatac returns to the finals for the first time since winning the Finals MVP in the 49th Season Commissioner’s Cup. Nambatac didn’t play in the Philippine Cup finals after he was left out of the playoff roster after an injury. Nambatac will surely be motivated in his return to championship action.

Bench production a key

While the stars such as Fajardo, Perez, and Calvin Oftana will be under the spotlight, bench play will play a significant role not just in Game 1, but for the entire series.

San Miguel's Don Trollano PHOTO: Mark Cristino

The Beermen have been known for their depth with Don Trollano and Jericho Cruz among the second stringers who are giving the team a boost.

The Tropang 5G, meanwhile, made an effort to strengthen their bench during the offseason in order to contend against the Beermen after the signings of Jio Jalalon, Kevin Ferrer, and Tyrus Hill.

2026-01-21T06:15:06Z