The San Miguel Beermen squandered a double-digit lead on Saturday but still did enough to hold off the Terrafirma Dyip, 109-104, at the Ynares Center in Antipolo. It is the Beermen’s second straight win to open their PBA Governors’ Cup, while Terrafirma lost its third straight after an opening-day win.
What Happened?
George King went off for 12 points in the opening frame to lead San Miguel to an early 22-15 lead. Don Trollano and Cjay Perez then picked up the cudgels in the second quarter, combining for 17 markers to lead a 44-point explosion for the Beermen to take a 66-46 halftime cushion.
But, as they’ve done in the previous two games, the Dyip fought back in the second half, starting with a 27-point third quarter sparked by Justin Strings, Maverick Ahanmisi, and Juami Tiongson. Terrafirma continued its fiery fightback in the fourth and even took a 104-101 lead on a trey from Tiongson. That, however, would be the Dyip’s final bucket as San Miguel finished the game on a 7-0 run aided by three Terrafirma turnovers.
Who Stood Out?
Buoyed by that strong start, King finished with 37 points to go along with 14 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block. He also gave the Beermen the lead back with a four-point cluster—two freebies and a layup off a steal—inside the final minute. Perez backed up King with 22 points and the game-sealing free throws in the end. He also had 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals. Finally, Trollano’s 17 points off the bench were a spark for San Miguel.
Tiongson showed out against his former team, tallying 27 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists as he led that second-half surge, only to be felled by two turnovers down the stretch. Ahanmisi was sensational as well with his 20 points off the bench, spiked by 7 rebounds and 6 dimes.
3 Keys to the Game
- Free throws. San Miguel shot an atrocious 38.6% from the field on Saturday but still got 32 points off free throws. For the game, the Beermen made 32 of their 40 freebies as King and Perez repeatedly attacked the Terrafirma defense. In contrast, the Dyip were just 7-for-11 from the stripe. That’s a massive 25-point difference.
- Turnovers. Both teams didn’t particularly take good care of the ball, with San Miguel turning it over 16 times and Terrafirma coughing the ball up 15 times. Unfortunately for the latter, three of those turnovers came in the final two minutes, just as they seemed primed to complete their rally.
- Endgame poise. It might be weird to say the Beermen displayed poise down the stretch, but they did. Suddenly down 104-102 with 1:21 left, San Miguel hunkered down and made all the right plays on both ends to retake the lead and ultimately seal the win.
Next Up for the PBA
Sunday, July 19, 2026 | Smart Araneta Coliseum
- TNT Tropang 5G vs. Macau Giant Pandas (5:15 p.m.)
- Barangay Ginebra San Miguel vs. Phoenix Fuel Masters (7:30 p.m.)
