TNT's Bol Bol in action against Barangay Ginebra in the PBA Season 50 Commissioner's Cup, May 10, 2026 at the Mall of Asia Arena. PBA Media
MANILA – The TNT Tropang 5G are entering unfamiliar territory in the PBA 50 Commissioner's Cup quarterfinals on Wednesday.
The defending champions are the eighth seed in the playoffs, despite having the same talented locals reinforced by former NBA player Bol Bol.
Chot Reyes' squad will be up against the top seed and twice-to-beat NLEX Road Warriors, who they have defeated in the elimination round.
Despite having the odds stacked against the Tropang 5G, Barangay Ginebra head coach Tim Cone believes it's too early to count out the defending champions especially with Bol in their team.
READ: Ginebra outlasts Bol, TNT in thriller to set up q’finals clash vs. Phoenix
"I was looking at, you know, from Coach Chot's eyes, I don't pretend to know what he thinks, but, you know, I think they played a good game. They wanted to play a good game. And I don't think it was a big deal that they lost," Cone said after Ginebra's 93-86 win over TNT on Sunday.
"I think they probably got a matchup that they like against NLEX. And so, you know, that's going to be a really interesting, interesting series, I think, between NLEX and Talk 'N Text," he added.
After facing TNT in the past, Cone emphasized that the Tropang 5G are defending champions for a reason and can find a way to bounce back.
"You know, Talk 'N Text can turn it around in a heartbeat and find themselves in the finals easily. So, you know, that's a team that everybody's got to be on," he said.
The Ginebra mentor earlier praised Bol for his dominant performance against the Gin Kings, despite the loss.
READ: Tim Cone impressed with TNT import Bol Bol's performance vs. Ginebra
Bol stood tall with 33 points, 10 rebounds, five blocks, and three assists, not allowing himself to be limited by Ginebra's big men and three-time PBA Best Import Justin Brownlee.
TNT and NLEX will open the PBA 50 Commissioner's Cup quarterfinals action on Wednesday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
The twice-to-beat Ginebra will take on the Phoenix Fuel Masters on Friday at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.
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