TNT has yet to live up to expectations this late in the 2026 PBA Commissioner’s Cup, with frustration clearly mounting after another loss on Tuesday night.
According to onlookers at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium, Tropang 5G head coach Chot Reyes did not join the post-game huddle following TNT’s 106–94 defeat to Magnolia, a result that dropped them to seventh in the standings with just one game remaining.
Reyes instead headed straight to the dugout, collected his belongings, and left the venue.
Understandably, frustration is building given TNT’s recent struggles.
The Tropang 5G opened the season with a 2–2 record and were expected to gain momentum against a favorable stretch that included games versus the Terrafirma Dyip, Blackwater Bossing, Titan Ultra Giant Risers, and Converge FiberXers — all sitting in the lower half of the standings.
Instead, TNT labored through the stretch.
(C) PBA Images
They needed a 35-point explosion from Bol Bol to edge Terrafirma by 12, a 48-point outing from the former NBA pro to survive Blackwater by five, and a 50-point eruption by Bol to narrowly escape Titan Ultra, also by five points.
They then fell to Converge before briefly bouncing back with a win over another lower-ranked opponent in Macau.
Clearly, the goal of gaining any momentum from those games did not happen.
That inconsistency showed in their last two outings.
Phoenix stunned TNT in a 100–97 overtime loss despite solid local support for Bol, and on Tuesday, even Bol’s 53-point performance was not enough as the Tropang 5G fell to Magnolia in a game they never led.
At one point in the Magnolia game, frustration visibly boiled over for Bol, who was seen ripping his jersey in the heat of the moment as TNT struggled to close the gap.
Clearly, TNT is still searching for the right balance to maximize the impact of a dominant scorer like Bol within its system.
The Tropang 5G now finds itself in a precarious position heading into a crucial Sunday matchup against second-running Ginebra. A loss could set up another meeting with the same squad in the quarterfinals — this time with TNT holding a twice-to-win disadvantage.
Worse, the Tropang 5G risk entering the playoffs having lost four of their last five games, a slump that has raised serious questions about their form at the worst possible time.
