For a brief, fleeting moment in Game 3 of the 2025 PBA Philippine Cup Finals, it looked like the San Miguel Beermen were in danger of imploding. At one point, they missed nine of ten field goals, muffed five freebies, and committed several turnovers. They had also surrendered most of their 20-point lead, which they had built in a fiery third quarter that had the TNT Tropang 5G on the proverbial ropes.
It was 90-83 with exactly five minutes left in the game, and TNT was threatening one last push to steal Game 3 away. Only Chris Ross and June Mar Fajardo were having none of it. Ross and Fajardo, two-thirds of the fabled Death 5 that won five Philippine Cup titles from 2014 to 2019, scored 13 of San Miguel’s final 18 points to tow the Beermen out of danger and onto a massive victory.
San Miguel coach Leo Austria is hardly surprised. In fact, he credits his two veterans for making sure the Beermen didn’t fold in what was turning out to be a fiery TNT uprising in that fourth quarter.
Just Death 5 Things: Inspiring the Beermen
Indeed, the last two San Miguel victories were as much the handiwork of the two Death 5 remnants, whom Austria praised for their “killer instinct” and for knowing what to do in these very same situations.
“The experience of the players,” Austria answered when asked what allowed San Miguel to fend off the Tropang 5G. “Dahil alam nila [Beermen veterans] na fourth quarter is pivotal, and the killer instinct of the players, especially June Mar Fajardo and Chris Ross, they know how to handle the Finals.”
What’s more, Austria lauded Ross and Fajardo for inspiring the rest of the Beermen, nevermind if they’re years removed from their Death 5 heyday and are advancing in age.
“This is a very important game, third game, first game in the best of five series, and everybody was inspired by what these guys are doing, not only in scoring but in defending, especially Chris Ross. His leadership is really amazing and magugulat kayo kung pano siya maglaro in spite of his age,” Austria further said. “June Mar is a very experienced player when it comes to the playoffs, he wants to win, and that is the most important thing: Everyone wants to win.”
Yes, everyone wants to win, indeed. It might be an oversimplification, but in Game 3 at least, it definitely looked that way. And it seemed no one wanted to win more than San Miguel’s two Death 5 leaders. They’ve already won six PBA Philippine Cup titles. They’re certainly playing like they’re gunning for their first one.
