The San Miguel Beermen rallied past the NLEX Road Warriors, 135-133, on Wednesday at the Ynares Center in Antipolo. The win moved the Beermen to 9-3, in a tie with the Road Warriors, in the group. But the latter will enter the PBA Governors’ Cup quarterfinals as the No. 1 seed still because they own the point differential over the former, who will be No. 2.
What Happened?
This game felt like two contenders already going for the crown as NLEX and San Miguel went at it for the entire opening frame. Deonte Burton’s 12 points in the first quarter led the way for the Road Warriors, while the Beermen leaned on a more balanced, diversified attack to keep up, 32-30. NLEX continued its sterling scoring in the second, getting lifts from Schonny Winston’s 11 points and Tony Semerad’s three-point sniping to outscore San Miguel, 36-30, and take a 68-60 lead into halftime.
The Road Warriors waxed hotter in the third, with Semerad, Ljay Gonzales, and Robbie Herndon combining for 25 of NLEX’s 44 third-quarter points (to San Miguel’s 36) to enter the final frame ahead, 112-96. NLEX was still ahead, 124-107, at the 7:17 mark of regulation and looked poised to cruise to victory, but San Miguel had other plans, unleashing a 28-7 run to rally past the Road Warriors in the end.
Who Stood Out?
Don Trollano fought for this win, firing 15 points in that fourth-quarter rally and finishing with 23 points off the bench to go along with 10 boards. George King also starred for San Miguel as he tallied 27 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 4 blocks while scoring 8 points in the Beermen’s final rally. Marcio Lassiter had quite a game as well, chipping in 19 points on 7-for-9 shooting. June Mar Fajardo added a 26-point, 10-rebound double-double spiked by 5 assists.
For NLEX, Burton was sensational, going off for a game-high 43 points on top of 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 6 blocks. Winston and Gonzales fired 20 apiece, while Robert Bolick finished with 13 points and 15 assists.
3 Keys to the Game
- San Miguel’s championship DNA. It didn’t look like the Beermen had it in them for much of the middle quarters as the Road Warriors zoomed to a big lead. But, in the fourth quarter, that championship DNA of San Miguel showed as the many-time champs dug deep and rallied down the stretch. NLEX simply didn’t have an answer.
- Inside scoring. Powered mostly by Fajardo, San Miguel won the paint battle in commanding fashion, outscoring NLEX inside, 66-40. The Road Warriors’ lack of an anchor big man in the interior showed as the Beermen repeatedly got inside and finished.
- Don Clarkson Trollano. Trollano went into Jordan Clarkson mode in the fourth, firing 15 big points and willing the Beermen back into the game. With Trollano refusing to lose, San Miguel rose up as a unit.
Next Up for the PBA
Friday, October 23, 2026 | Ynares Center Antipolo
Rain or Shine Elasto Painters vs. Phoenix Fuel Masters (5:15 p.m.)
Barangay Ginebra San Miguel vs. Blackwater Bossing (7:30 p.m.)
