The San Miguel Beermen set the record for biggest lead at the half—43 points—en route to a 131-79 demolition of the Macau Giant Pandas on Saturday night at the Ynares Center in Montalban. The win improved San Miguel’s PBA Governors’ Cup record to 6-2 to inch closer to Group A leader NLEX Road Warriors, who are 6-1. The loss dropped Macau to 2-6, in a tie with the Titan Ultra Giant Risers for worst record in the league.
What Happened?
George King exploded for 19 points in the first 12 minutes as San Miguel raced out to a 35-20 lead in the opening frame. It got worse for Macau in the second canto, as the Beermen put up 45 points on red-hot shooting from downtown. The Giant Pandas, in contrast, could only muster 17 points to fall behind, 80-37, entering the second half.
San Miguel continued the onslaught in the third, scoring 31 more points to Macau’s 16 en route to building as much as a 62-point cushion. After three, the game was well in hand for the Beermen, who took a 111-53 lead into the final frame. In the end, San Miguel won by 52, which is the fourth-largest winning margin in PBA history.
Who Stood Out?
King only had 19 points—far fewer than his over 35 points per game—but all came in that furious first quarter where San Miguel took control. Aside from King, five other Beermen finished in double figures, with two more a basket away from scoring at least 10. Don Trollano was the best among the locals with his 17 points off the bench, while Jericho Cruz added 14 points and 5 dimes, also as part of the second unit. Jeron Teng provided a spark as well, finishing with 13 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists.
Macau, who played with only eight players, was led by Kobey Lam and Damian Chong Qui, who fired 24 and 23, respectively. Lam also had 9 rebounds, while Chong Qui added 6 caroms.
3 Keys to the Game
- Shooting. Put simply, San Miguel was red-hot, while Macau was ice-cold. In all, the Beermen shot 53.0% and 38.7% from the arc. The Giant Pandas, on the other hand, were only 31.8% from the field overall and 30.0% from downtown.
- Turnovers. The Beermen forced Macau into 16 miscues, which they converted to 21 points, including several fastbreak baskets. In contrast, Macau forced San Miguel to 9 turnovers only for 8 points.
- Strong start. San Miguel’s prolific first quarter put doubt in Macau, and that dominant second canto took the fight out.
Next Up for the PBA
Sunday, August 9, 2026 | Ninoy Aquino Stadium
Rain or Shine Elasto Painters vs. Phoenix Fuel Masters (5:15 p.m.)
Blackwater Bossing vs. Barangay Ginebra San Miguel (7:30 p.m.)
