The San Miguel Beermen are one win away from nabbing another PBA Philippine Cup title. This came after they bucked a slow start to turn back the TNT Tropang 5G, 96-82, in Game 5 of the Finals on Friday at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.
What Happened?
TNT went ballistic in the first quarter, drilling four of its five triples in the first four minutes en route to a 29-19 lead after 12 minutes of action. San Miguel, though, all but wiped out that lead with a 28-19 second quarter to enter halftime down by just one, 48-47.
The Beermen then started imposing their will on the Tropa in the third quarter, with Marco Lassiter scoring five of the first seven points of the period and Rodney Brondial and Kris Rosales picking up where Super Marcio left off. A 30-13 third quarter gave San Miguel a 77-61 lead heading into the payoff period, where they fended off TNT’s repeated rallies on their way to the Game 5 victory.
Who Stood Out?
On a night when June Mar Fajardo and CJay Perez combined for 24 quiet points, a host of other Beermen stepped up, starting with Brondial and Rosales. Brondial finished with 17 points and 15 rebounds in a manic effort throughout, while Rosales added 12 points, 4 assists, and defensive spunk. In fact, Rosales’s entry late in the first quarter jump-started San Miguel’s comeback.
TNT, in contrast, could not draw big games from any ka-Tropa, although Jordan Heading did explode for 10 points in the first quarter. Calvin Oftana topscored for TNT with 20 points but was largely held in check by San Miguel’s swarming defense.
3 Keys to the Game
- The Others. Again, Fajardo and Perez were largely ineffective in Game 5, but San Miguel’s other players stepped up. Rosales was huge in injecting intensity into the Beermen’s defense, while Brondial’s hustle, energy, and timely buckets fueled San Miguel’s third-quarter storm.
- Defense. After another explosive first quarter, it looked like the Tropa were headed for another scoring outburst. But led by Rosales picking up full court, San Miguel steadily clamped down on TNT, culminating in a ferocious third quarter when the Beermen held the Tropang 5G to just 13 points.
- Offensive Rebounding. San Miguel did not shoot at a blistering pace in Game 5, but they grabbed 18 offensive rebounds to TNT’s 9. This resulted in a 12-6 advantage in second-chance points and helped San Miguel keep TNT’s fast-break attack largely contained.
Next Up for the PBA
The PBA Philippine Cup Finals resume on Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena, where San Miguel will be aiming to close out the championship series. TNT, on the other hand, will look to send it to a winner-take-all Game 7. Tip-off is at 7:30 p.m.
