The nightcap of PBA Friday at the Ynares Center in Antipolo was a rematch between last Philippine Cup’s finalists, the TNT Tropang 5G and San Miguel Beermen. But what was supposed to be a marquee showdown turned into a blowout in the second half as the Beermen flashed their championship mettle to notch a convincing 110-95 victory.
With the win, San Miguel gained a piece of the lead in the standings at 6-2, joining the Converge FiberXers, Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, and NLEX Road Warriors. TNT, on the other hand, dropped to 5-3 and out of the top four after suffering its second straight loss.
What Happened?
San Miguel and TNT, true to expectations, engaged in a tight, back-and-forth first half, with San Miguel taking the first quarter, 23-20, and TNT getting the halftime lead, 47-43, thanks to a 27-20 second-quarter effort. But the Beermen took control right after intermission, zooming ahead by outscoring the Tropa, 39-14, in a mighty display in the third canto. San Miguel’s 82-61 cushion going into the fourth proved enough as TNT couldn’t muster a comeback.
Who Stood Out?
It was a total team effort for San Miguel as five Beermen finished in double digits. But the star of the game was undoubtedly CJay Perez, who made mincemeat of TNT’s defense on his way to 33 big points on a hyper-efficient 11-for-17 clip. June Mar Fajardo was a steady presence, too, putting up a 13-point, 17-rebound double-double.
On the other side, Jordan Heading and Calvin Oftana had their moments carrying the fight for TNT. Heading finished with 18 markers, while Oftana fired 16, with each shooting identical 6-for-15 clips.
3 Keys to the Game
- CJay Perez, in control. The Predator was in control throughout as he adeptly navigated TNT’s defense. As a result, he controlled the game for San Miguel and led its high-powered offense against a usually stout Tropang 5G defense.
- Three-point shooting. TNT generally outshoots its foes from downtown, but it wasn’t the case against San Miguel. Yes, the Tropa hit 11 triples, but they had to take 42 attempts for a ghastly 31%. In contrast, San Miguel made 11 of their 28 three-point attempts.
- Defense. San Miguel scored in bunches, but it was stifling defense that allowed the Beermen to cook up a third-quarter storm. That defense held TNT to 41.5% overall and 31% from deep, while also forcing 14 turnovers.
Next Up for the PBA
PBA Philippine Cup action continues the Ynares Center in Antipolo later today, this time with a double-header featuring teams at the bottom of the standings. The Terrafirma Dyip take on the Titan Ultra Giant Risers in the first game, followed by the Blackwater Bossing going up against the Phoenix Fuel Masters.
Terrafirma vs. Titan Ultra (5:15 p.m.)
Blackwater vs. Phoenix (7:30 p.m.)
