Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser was proud to bounce back from his suspension and help TNT beat Magnolia in PBA quarterfinals

The TNT Tropang Giga kept their hopes of securing an elusive Grand Slam of titles alive after registering an exciting 89–88 victory over the Magnolia Hotshots in the quarterfinals of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup on Wednesday, June 18, at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City.

Veteran guard Roger Pogoy led the way for TNT, scoring 30 points and exploding in the fourth quarter to ultimately propel Tropang Giga to victory. The game also marked the return of Filipino-American star Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser from a one-game suspension, with the center contributing 10 points, six rebounds, and three assists in the win that kept Tropang Giga’s Grand Slam hopes alive.

Ganuelas-Rosser was eager to make up for the suspension, which was handed down by PBA authorities for an elbow to the head area of Troy Rosario during their 88–83 loss to Barangay Ginebra San Miguel on June 1. Notably, that was his first game for Tropang Giga after sustaining an ACL injury during the 48th season of the PBA in the 2024 Philippine Cup in May 2024.

#WATCH: Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser steps up to the challenge, proud to deliver on his tough assignment of locking down Zavier Lucero 🏀

🎥 @justinebacnis /Tiebreaker Times#PBA2025 pic.twitter.com/QhChkLqrRZ

— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) June 18, 2025

“It was really tough. I just got done sitting out for a whole year, so now I had to sit out again. It’s a lesson learned. I let my emotions get the best of me that game. I just have to make sure I don’t do that again. When I’m on the court, I just want to help the team in any way I can. I just have to be there on the court,” Ganuelas-Rosser said in a media interaction.

“One of our adjustments from when we played Magnolia earlier in the eliminations is that they were just pushing us around and being a little more physical. When you try to be more physical, fouls are going to happen. You just have to be smart and know when to use them. Down the stretch, I was able to just let things go and focus on playing by possession,” he added.

The 30-year-old also made his presence felt on defense, playing a key role in limiting Magnolia’s star player Zavier Lucero for large portions of the game. He knows his team will need a similar effort from him on Saturday in the do-or-die quarterfinal game—and he’s ready for it.

“Whatever you can do to make him earn his buckets, make him earn his possessions. You’re not going to stop a player like that—or that team—for the whole four quarters. Just making them earn it, being smart, picking possessions when to be aggressive, when to lay off, stuff like that. I know they are going to make adjustments. I know he’s going to come in and maybe try some new things, some new looks. Just have to be ready,” Ganuelas-Rosser concluded.

Tropang Giga’s win nullified Magnolia’s twice-to-beat advantage, with both teams now set to battle for a spot in the semifinals. The do-or-die game will take place on Saturday, June 21, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

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