The San Miguel Beermen and TNT Tropang 5G began their PBA Philippine Cup Finals rematch on Wednesday at the Ynares Center Antipolo. True to expectations, the two flagship franchises delivered a Game 1 classic, with TNT escaping San Miguel, 96-91, in a game that came down to the final seconds.
What Happened?
The Tropa got off to a rousing start, firing 56 first-half points on the strength of some red-hot three-point shooting while holding San Miguel down to just 36. But the Beermen roared back to life in the third, with Mo Tautuaa leading a 28-17 turnaround that pushed San Miguel to within 70-64 heading into the final quarter. The defending champs twice got to within two of the Tropa and were still within 90-87 down the stretch. TNT, though, made just enough plays on offense and dug deep on defense to fend off the Beermen in the end.
Who Stood Out?
Kelly Williams was a steadying force for TNT all game long. He helped the Tropa to their strong start with 10 early points and then issued two crucial assists down the stretch that led to a couple of Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser baskets. The 43-year-old Williams finished with 15 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 block. Fellow big man Henry Galinato Jr. also came up big, providing quality minutes off the bench with 12 points and 2 steals.
San Miguel, meanwhile, drew big games from Mo Tautuaa and—who else?—June Mar Fajardo. Big Mo fired 22 points on top of 4 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1 block, while Fajardo had a game-high 24 markers to go along with his 17 rebounds.
3 Keys to the Game
- Strong start. TNT’s red-hot first half saw them build as much as a 17-point cushion against the defending champs. The Tropa needed every one of those 17 points in the face of the Beermen’s blistering second-half rally.
- Simplified offense. When push came to shove in the fourth, Chot Reyes just simplified his offense. Early in the fourth, he kept calling Calvin Oftana’s number in the post against the smaller Jericho Cruz, and that gave TNT at least a couple of big baskets. Then, in the endgame, the Tropa ran the high pick-and-roll with Williams as the screener, and that got them two BGR buckets.
- Defense. Of course, TNT relied on its stifling defense, which was on-point in the first half when it held San Miguel to just 36 points. That defense also kept San Miguel’s scorers in check, with Cruz finishing with 8, Don Trollano scoring just 4, and Lassiter laying an egg.
Next Up for the PBA
Game 2 will be at the Ynares Center Antipolo again on Friday. Tipoff is at 7:30 p.m.
