The #1 San Miguel Beermen (2-1) exploded in the third quarter to pull away for a 91-85 win over the #5 Barangay Ginebra San Miguel (1-2). Meanwhile, the #8 Meralco Bolts (1-2) secured a much-needed 97-89 victory against the #2 TNT Tropang Giga (2-1) in Game 3 of the PBA Philippine Cup semifinals on January 9.
Here are the top players who made the biggest impact and the stats to prove it:
TOP PERFORMERS OF THE DAY:
Earl Scottie Thompson GIN SG 17 PTS | 9 REB | 4 AST | 36.8 FPS
Thompson finished with a team-best in scoring while also contributing solid value in other areas. The star guard has now scored in double-figures 12 times in his last 14 games while also averaging 7.1 rebounds and 5.8 assists in his last ten.
June Mar Fajardo SMB C 6 PTS | 19 REB | 4 AST | 36.8 FPS
JMF is battling a shoulder injury, and it showed in Game 3, where he went just 1-for-8 from the field and logged his lone single-digit scoring outing of the conference. Even so, he continues to dominate the glass, pulling down at least 19 rebounds in four straight games.
Japeth Aguilar GIN C 14 PTS | 8 REB | 2 BLK | 36.1 FPS
Japeth stepped up in Game 3 and delivered his best all-around showing of the playoffs. This conference, he’s only scored 14+ points six times but he’s been impactful in rebounding, posting 7+ boards nine times.
Christopher Elijah Newsome MER SG 17 PTS | 4 REB | 5 AST | 32.3 FPS
Newsome wasn’t at his best offensively but he compensated at the line, converting 10-of-11 and finishing with his seventh 15-point game of the conference. In four games against TNT this tournament, he’s averaging 18 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists.
Celedonio Trollano SMB SF 33 PTS | 6 REB | 2 STL | 46.7 FPS
Trollano was ineffective in the first two games of the series, averaging 8.5 points but he came up big in Game 3, scoring 15 in the third and finishing with a perfect 8-for-8 showing at the line for his best scoring performance and his third 20-point game of the conference.
Roger Ray Pogoy TNT SG 28 PTS | 3 REB | 3 AST | 37.1 FPS
RR was red-hot, shooting nearly 60% from the field, including a blistering 5-for-6 performance from long range, to finish with his best scoring game and his third 20-point outing of the conference. After a slow start to the tournament, Pogoy is now averaging 17 points over his last eleven games.
Raymond Almazan MER C 11 PTS | 8 REB | 1 BLK | 26.6 FPS
The big man continues to be a reliable inside presence this tournament, finishing with an efficient 4-for-5 shooting for his eight double-digit scoring performance while also adding his ninth 5-rebound game of the conference.
Christopher Ross SMB PG 7 REB | 8 AST | 1 STL | 27.4 FPS
Ross struggled offensively, finishing 1-for-8 from the field and missing all seven of his three-point attempts, but he made up for it with strong contributions in other areas. Still, he’s more than capable of more. In the last conference finals against TNT, he emerged as a difference-maker with his three-point shooting and defense.
Christopher Clark Banchero MER PG 18 PTS | 6 REB | 2 AST | 25.2 FPS
CB led the way for Meralco, pouring in 16 points in the second half to finish with a team-high scoring output while also delivering a conference-best rebounding performance. Though he struggled offensively for much of the conference—scoring under 10 points in eight of ten elimination-round games—he’s beginning to find his rhythm, posting at least 15 points for the third time in his last four outings.
BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE DAY:
Calvin John Oftana TNT SF 6 PTS | 6 REB | 1 AST
After averaging 27 in the first two games of the series, Oftana was limited to 1-for-7 shooting from the field, matching his worst scoring game of the conference.
