MANILA, Philippines–TNT pulled out all the necessary stops on Friday night to slip past Rain or Shine, 97-92, and book a ticket to the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals.

Resident import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson delivered 42 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and three blocks as the Tropang Giga disposed of the ElastoPainters in Game 5 of the conference semifinals at Smart Araneta Coliseum, ultimately tabbing the first seat in the championship showdown.

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“We showed a lot of heart and guts down the stretch. We wanted to make sure before the ball game started, that we stayed present and did not allow our minds to wander. We felt we had a little letdown in the first half, but we picked it up,” TNT head coach Chot Reyes said on the heels of the triumph.

READ: PBA: TNT, Ginebra gun for close-out victories

TNT import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and coach Chot Reyes after going to the #PBAFinals for the second straight conference. @INQUIRERSports pic.twitter.com/Afu1ByinOo

— Rommel Fuertes Jr. (@MeloFuertesINQ) March 7, 2025

“But so many guys pitched in—a testament to the players’ refusal to not go down without a fight. This series was so close, it could’ve gone either way. In the end, our ability to make stops when it mattered was the difference in this series,” he went on.

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Calvin Oftana had 12 points and 12 rebounds, while Rey Nambatac had just as much as TNT repeated over the young Rain or Shine side, which it also beat in five games during the last semifinals back in the Governors’ Cup ruled by the Tropang Giga.

READ: PBA: TNT edges Rain or Shine to close in on Finals berth

Import Deon Thompson had 34 points and six rebounds, Adrian Nocum and Andrei Caracut added at least 10 more each.

But without big contributions from the other locals, the ElastoPainters sputtered yet again, their once-promising conference fading halfway through the knockout stage.

TNT will battle the winner of the Barangay Ginebra-NorthPort duel, which could see a resolution should the Gin Kings win later in the evening.