PBA Philippine Cup action on Wednesday opened with the San Miguel Beermen looking to clinch one of four twice-to-beat incentives with a win over the Terrafirma Dyip. It was mission accomplished in the end for the Beermen, who overpowered the Dyip, 135-115, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium to hike their record to 8-2 with their eighth straight victory. Terrafirma, meanwhile, dropped to 1-10.
What Happened?
Terrafirma started the game playing like a team with nothing to lose, shocking the Beermen with a 26-18 first quarter anchored on some hot shooting from the perimeter. San Miguel, though, righted the ship, so to speak, starting in the second canto, outscoring the Dyip 34-20 for a 46-42 lead going to intermission. The Beermen pulled away for good with a 43-point explosion for an 89-76 lead heading to the final period. San Miguel fired another 40 points to seal the win.
Who Stood Out?
San Miguel had standout performances up and down the roster, with CJay Perez leading the way with 26 markers. Jericho Cruz and Jeron Teng came off the bench to spark the Beermen with 17 and 15, respectively, while June Mar Fajardo put up a casual 10-point, 13-rebound, 10-assist triple-double.
Multiple players also stepped up for Terrafirma, led by the Ahanmisi brothers, Maverick and Jerrick. The former fired a team-high 20 markers on top of 5 boards, 3 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks, while the latter had 16 points and 5 boards. Paolo Hernandez came off the bench to add 19 points and 5 dimes.
3 Keys to the Game
- Paint play. The Beermen kept attacking Terrafirma’s interior defense, and they kept scoring and scoring and scoring. In all, San Miguel had a 68-34 advantage in interior scoring, which no doubt played a part in the team’s 52.7% clip overall.
- Bench attack. San Miguel’s bench has been a huge factor in most of the team’s wins, and it was again superb against the Dyip, with five bench players scoring in double digits. Cruz’s 17 led the way, with Jeron Teng adding 15, Don Trollano chipping in 14, Mo Tautaa delivering 12, and JM Calma firing 11.
- Fastbreak scoring. The Beermen sped the game up at stretches, and that helped them get easy baskets in the paint. Overall, San Miguel scored 25 fastbreak points compared to Terrafirma’s 10.
Next Up for the PBA
The PBA Philippine Cup will hold its penultimate play date on Friday, also at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium. The TNT Tropang 5G and Blackwater Bossing face off in the first game, while the Meralco Bolts and San Miguel clash in the nightcap.
TNT vs. Blackwater (5:15 p.m.)
Meralco vs. San Miguel (7:30 p.m.)
