Bol impressed in his first game in the Philippines, but physicality and a brutal loss have welcomed his Pinoy basketball debut.
Bol Bol lived up to the hype in his first Filipino basketball game, but his much-awaited debut was spoiled in a disappointing finish.
Bol Bol
Bol Bol
Position: C
Age: 26
Height: 221 cm
Weight: 100 kg
Birth place: Sudan
The former NBA big man came up short with TNT Tropang 5G on Friday, absorbing a 112-109 loss against the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in their Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Commissioner's Cup opener for the 2025-26 season.
Bol wowed Pinoy fans right at the tip-off with his towering frame, elite ball handling and NBA-level skill sets. He finished the night with 38 points on 15-of-34 shooting with 16 rebounds, five rejections and three assists for nearly 40 minutes.
He erupted for 15 first-quarter points that fueled TNT's lead by as many as 18 in the first half, leaving fans amazed upon swatting shot after shot. But Bol and the Tropang 5G squandered their margin as the Elasto Painters came up victorious despite the untimely ejection of import Jaylen Johnson after a fist fight incident against TNT guard Glen Khobuntin in the final 6:20 mark of regulation.
Bol missed the potential game-tying triple that could have sent the game to overtime. His productivity was also limited after drawing five personal fouls.
He also tallied five turnovers.
Bol endured a highly physical treatment in his first PBA game. After a hard bump against Adrian Nocum, things got chippy between him and ROS big man Caelen Tiongson as they had to be separated during the 3:56 mark of the second quarter.
Bol will look to secure his first win in the Philippines on Sunday, as he and TNT will face the NLEX Road Warriors.
Like what we are doing? Support us by becoming BN+ member.
If you like our content, please click here and add us as your preferred source. It helps us a lot, and we are committed to delivering you the very latest basketball news.