Parks, Tropang Giga dump Fuel Masters to enter PBA finals

MANILA, Philippines – The TNT Tropang Giga are the first team through to the PBA Philippine Cup Finals after beating the Phoenix Fuel Masters, 91-81, in the winner-take-all Game Five on Friday at the AUF Sports Arena and Cultural Center.

Led by Bobby Ray Parks Jr., the Tropang Giga showed the second-seeded Fuel Masters the door and will vie for their first PBA championship since 2015.

The Tropang Giga were able to pull away in the fourth quarter after the Fuel Masters were stuck playing catch-up for most of the game.

Offensive firepower from TNT's role players in the opening salvo set the pace in the do-or-die contest.

Simon Enciso led a first quarter run for TNT that saw them lead by as much as 10 in the first quarter.

But the Fuel Masters got their offensive rhythm back and cut the lead to as little as three, 37-34 late in the second period.

Luckily for the Tropang Giga, a Jay Washington triple with the clock running down in the first half swung momentum back to their side.

The trend continued in the second half with the Fuel Masters trying to trim the lead, but turnovers would cut momentum short for the erstwhile second-seeded Phoenix.

It was ultimately in the final salvo where TNT firmly slammed the door on the Fuel Masters when their lead ballooned to as big as 17, 75-58 after an RR Pogoy 3-pointer with 7:09 ticks left in the game.

Though the Fuel Masters attempted to get back in the game with four straight points from Calvin Abueva to cut the lead to 10 with 2:36 left, TNT's advantage proved too big to overcome.

Parks led the way for the Tropang Giga with 26 points while Enciso chipped in 11.

Washington finished with 11 points while Castro had 10.

For their part, Abueva and Matthew Wright were the bright spots for the Fuel Masters with 23 points and 13 points, respectively.

The Tropang Giga now await the winner of tonight's second win-or-go-home game between Ginebra and Meralco.