Heartbreak for TNT: Poy Erram sidelined for the rest of PBA Finals due to knee injury

The TNT Tropang Giga kept their hopes of winning the elusive Grand Slam of Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) titles alive by bouncing back to beat the San Miguel Beermen in Game 5 of the Philippine Cup Finals, 86–78, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Wednesday, July 23.

TNT narrowed their deficit in the best-of-seven finals series to 2–3 and had Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser to thank for the victory after he shone on both ends of the court, finishing with 18 points, five rebounds, four assists, and three blocks—giving his team hope after losing their last three games.

While it was a joyous occasion for the TNT franchise, they suffered a major blow after it emerged that star center Poy Erram has been ruled out for the remainder of the Philippine Cup Finals—and possibly longer—after requiring surgery for a meniscus tear in his left knee.

#WATCH: Poy Erram adds to TNT’s injury woes as he’s ruled out of the #PBA2025 Finals with a meniscus tear #ReadMore https://t.co/WJ1Od7U44X

@justinebacnis /Tiebreaker Times pic.twitter.com/N80191tLa3

— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) July 23, 2025

Erram has had rotten luck in the ongoing Philippine Cup Finals, as he sustained the latest injury during Game 4. This added to his discomfort after spraining his ankle while contesting a shot from San Miguel’s June Mar Fajardo in Game 2, which forced him to miss Game 3.

“I underwent an MRI scan earlier this morning and it was discovered that I had a meniscus tear in my left leg. For the record, I am out for the series and may miss about three to four months,” Erram said in a media interaction.

Erram is the latest in a long list of injuries faced by TNT throughout the Philippine Cup. Jayson Castro and Rey Nambatac remain out, while Calvin Oftana and Jordan Heading are playing through pain. Roger Pogoy and Kelly Williams only recently returned after missing several games in the semifinal series against the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters.

There is no doubt that TNT will miss the veteran center, as prior to his injury, he had made himself a frontrunner for Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) honors with averages of 22.8 points, 11.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.8 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game.

TNT head coach Chot Reyes lamented the injuries to his key players but vowed to keep fighting.

“As long as we have five guys who can walk, we are going to continue fighting,” Reyes said.

He will hope his team can fight on and level the series when the two teams face off in Game 6 on Friday, July 25, at the PhilSports Arena.

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