The San Miguel Beermen rallied from a 14-point deficit and stepped up in the clutch to secure a 103-92 win, moving just one victory away from advancing to the next round. Meanwhile, the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters broke the game wide open with a dominant third quarter, earning a 113-97 win and cutting the series deficit to 2-3 in Game 5 of the PBA Philippine Cup Semi-Finals on July 4.
Top Performers of the Day:
June Mar Fajardo (SMB C) 14 PTS | 12 REB | 3 BLK | 48.4 FPS
Fajardo hasn’t scored much in the series but remains highly efficient, shooting at 63% in the last three games. He was also more impactful on defense, averaging 2.6 stocks and 15 rebounds.
Jericho Xavier Cruz (SMB SF) 27 PTS | 2 AST | 4 STL | 43.2 FPS
Cruz has been a reliable scoring option off the bench, consistently posting double-digit points throughout the series. But he took it a step further, scoring 22 points across the second and third quarters to help put his team in control. Both his points and steals were conference highs.
Chris Jaymar Perez (SMB SF) 31 PTS | 3 REB | 3 AST | 39.1 FPS
Perez delivered once again on offense, shooting an efficient 10-for-13 on two-point attempts to finish with a playoff career high. He was a major factor in the team’s second-quarter rally, scoring 11 points to help bring them back into the game. It marked his sixth game this conference with 26 or more points.
Jhonard Clarito (ROS PF) 19 PTS | 7 REB | 5 AST | 38.9 FPS
Clarito had minimal impact on offense in the last two games but came up big in Game 5, going 7-for-7 on two-point attempts to finish with his third game this conference with at least 19 points. He’s also been steady in rebounding averaging 7 in the series.
Gian Mamuyac (ROS SF) 22 PTS | 3 AST | 3 STL | 36.7 FPS
Mamuyac has struggled offensively in the series scoring 7 or less three times in the first four games but he turned it around in Game 5, scoring 16 points in the first quarter alone and finishing with his fourth 20-point performance in the conference.
Jeth Troy Rosario (GIN PF) 11 PTS | 16 REB | 3 AST | 31.7 FPS
Rosario led the team in scoring in Game 4 with 14 points and kept the momentum going, recording his second double-digit scoring game of the series. He has also been a force in the paint, grabbing 16 offensive rebounds over the last two games.
Maverick Ahanmisi (GIN PG) 19 PTS | 2 REB | 3 AST | 24.9 FPS
Maverick has been a key offensive contributor off the bench, averaging 10.5 points since Game 2.
Calvin John Oftana (TNT PF) 23 PTS | 2 REB | 1 AST | 23.9 FPS
Oftana played through a double ankle sprain he sustained in Game 4 and delivered a strong start, scoring 21 in just the first half. But he wasn’t as impactful, rest of the game, struggling with the injury and making little impact in other areas after previously putting up 9.5 rebounds per game in the playoffs.
Simon Nicholas Enciso (TNT PG) 20 PTS | 2 REB | 2 AST | 23.4 FPS
Enciso started slow in the first half but came through in the second, including scoring 14 points in the fourth to cut the 35-point lead. This marked his third double-digit scoring game in the series.
Biggest Disappointment of the Day:
Jordan Timothy Heading (TNT PG) 3 PTS | 4 REB | 3 AST
Heading had an explosive performance in Game 4 but couldn’t carry the momentum forward. He struggled from three, shooting just 1-for-7, and finished with his lowest scoring output of the conference.
