TNT’s championship defense suddenly found itself hanging by a thread over the weekend. One moment, the Tropang 5G were leaning on the dominant presence of Bol Bol in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinals.
The next, they were scrambling to rebuild after the towering import suffered a torn left Achilles that abruptly ended his conference.
But amid the chaos, TNT chose familiarity over panic.
After exploring multiple options and even bringing in former University of the Philippines standout Malick Diouf for practice sessions, coach Chot Reyes revealed that the team is now leaning toward former San Miguel Beer champion import Chris McCullough as the man tasked to stabilize TNT’s title bid.
McCullough was already courtside with team manager Jojo Lastimosa during TNT’s gutsy 77-75 Game 3 victory over Meralco at the Mall of Asia Arena — a symbolic sign that the franchise may already have found its next answer.
For Reyes, the decision was never just about talent. It was about minimizing disruption at the most critical stage of the season.
“It’s very ticklish because on one end, introducing a new element to the team can always go both ways. It can give us a jolt of energy. But it can also get in the way of already how smooth things are going with the team,” said Reyes.
Instead of gambling on a completely unfamiliar reinforcement, TNT appears to be banking on McCullough’s proven ability to adapt quickly to the Philippine game. The 6-foot-10 forward already owns a Commissioner’s Cup championship after leading San Miguel Beer to the 2019 title — ironically at TNT’s expense.
“I think the stability and maturity of somebody who’s been here already has won before,” Reyes explained. “When a new import comes in, there’s a lot of adjustments. Adjustment to the time, the weather, the culture, the kind of game. And then adjustment with his teammates. So with McCullough, at least those variables we’ve taken out already, adjustment na lang with his teammates.”
The urgency behind TNT’s search became more apparent after the franchise exhausted several emergency options. Former NBA players Marquese Chriss and Darius Days were initially explored, while Diouf even joined practice in hopes of becoming a short-term solution. But paperwork delays prevented the former UP big man from suiting up in Game 3, forcing TNT to survive with an all-Filipino lineup.
Remarkably, the Tropang 5G still found a way.
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TNT head coach Vincent “Chot” Reyes expects incoming import Chris McCullough to immediately develop chemistry with his Tropang 5G teammates.
Video courtesy of Jesus Valdez/Fastbreak#TNT #Tropang5G #McCullough pic.twitter.com/cxXXyIfKII
— Fastbreak (@fastbreaknewsph) May 24, 2026
Roger Pogoy delivered the decisive triple late in the game, while TNT’s local core rallied around the emotional loss of Bol Bol to grab a crucial 2-1 series lead against Meralco.
The victory became more than just a playoff win. It became a tribute.
“It was disappointing losing Bol, losing our teammate, losing our brother,” said TNT forward Poy Erram Ganuelas-Rosser after the game. “Coach said that he messaged him and said he really wanted to be out here. So we want to go out there and dedicate the game to him and play for him.”
“He carried us here so hopefully, we can bring us across the finish line and we could finish the job. We have a core of guys that when our back is against the wall, we find ways. Today, like the coach said, a couple of lucky bounces, a couple of plays that we made, we came out with the win. But it’s only one win in the series.”
Now TNT hopes McCullough can provide the steady presence needed to finish what Bol Bol started.
The former NBA forward arrives fresh from a stint with the Taiwan Beer Leopards, where he averaged 16.5 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 1.5 assists during the 2025-26 campaign. More importantly, he arrives knowing exactly what the pressure of winning in the PBA feels like.
And for a TNT team suddenly forced to adjust in the middle of a semifinal war, that familiarity may end up mattering most.
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