The TNT Tropang 5G may have won Game 1 of the 2025 PBA Philippine Cup Finals, but they definitely had a scare—even after they built a 24-point lead in the third quarter and looked on the verge of blowing out June Mar Fajardo, Chris Ross, and the rest of the San Miguel Beermen.
San Miguel, though, said not so fast. With June Mar Fajardo going to work in the paint, the Beermen unleashed 19 unanswered points to turn what was a 92-74 TNT lead to a 93-92 San Miguel advantage.
That furious rally set up what would be a frenetic—and controversial—ending the saw the Beermen up 98-97 and seemingly poised to complete what was essentially another Beeracle. But big man Mo Tautuaa’s basket with 56 seconds remaining that gave San Miguel that 98-97 lead was waived off 50 seconds later due to what the technical committee deemed as basket interference on the part of Tautuaa.
So, instead of up one with Jordan Heading and Chris Ross jumping off at center court, the Beermen found themselves down one and scrambling to get back ahead with little time remaining. San Miguel couldn’t find that one big play once more, allowing the Tropa to weather that mighty comeback.
TNT Expected a Fight Back, Credits Chris Ross for It
Postgame, TNT coach Chot Reyes admitted he and his coaching staff fully expected San Miguel to make a run, even with the Tropang 5G seemingly playing flawless basketball. According to him, San Miguel isn’t a team that gives up without a fight.
“We expected it. We had no illusions that San Miguel would just roll over and lay down. We knew that they we’re going to mount a fight back and we kept talking to our players about it…,” Reyes told reporters after Game 1.
Later, Reyes heaped praise on the man he thought jumpstarted San Miguel’s furious fourth quarter comeback: Chris Ross, the same man who helped the Beermen survive a Game 7 against Barangay Ginebra San Miguel.
“They [San Miguel] upped their defensive pressure. Chris Ross is a one-man pressing machine, and we knew he was gonna be a huge factor and we we’re right. Chris Ross almost singlehandedly brought his team back,” he said.
Indeed, Ross was at the forefront of San Miguel’s breathtaking fourth quarter, wreaking havoc with his trademark aggressive defense and quarterbacking the Beermen’s offense.
Chris Ross and the rest of the Beermen nearly pulled off another Beeracle. In the end, the Tropa had just enough poise to escape with the win.
