(PBA image)
San Miguel Beer slammed the door on Barangay Ginebra and punched its ticket to a familiar destination, setting up a fiery PBA Philippine Cup title rematch with TNT.
Behind a historic scoring eruption from CJ Perez, the Beermen dismantled the Gin Kings, 101–88, Friday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, clinching the semifinal series, four games to two, and reigniting what many are calling Last Dance II against TNT Tropang 5G.
Perez was simply unstoppable from the opening tip. The San Miguel gunner scorched Ginebra for 30 points in the first quarter alone, outscoring the entire Kings squad, 30–25, and setting the tone for a night that quickly turned into his personal highlight reel. He went on to finish with a career-high 41 points, tying Bong Alvarez’s long-standing mark for most points in a quarter and flirting with Allan Caidic’s all-time PBA record.
From deep, from midrange, on drives, and at the line, Perez couldn’t miss during his blistering start, igniting the Beermen crowd and putting Ginebra in a deep early hole. San Miguel raced to a 19-point lead in the first half and never fully relinquished control.
When Perez briefly cooled off due to foul trouble, Don Trollano stepped in and calmly delivered the finishing blows. Trollano poured in 23 points, combining with Perez for 64 of San Miguel’s 101, as the Beermen leaned on their championship poise to weather several Ginebra comeback attempts.
The Kings refused to fold, slicing the deficit to as close as six late in the third, but San Miguel answered every surge with timely stops and cold-blooded baskets. Trollano’s clutch shots down the stretch restored order before Perez capped his masterpiece with a layup in the final seconds.
“We didn’t want to wait for another conference to get back to the finals,” said San Miguel coach Leo Austria. “We had the opportunity, and the guys stepped up when it mattered most.”
Even with June Mar Fajardo limited to just four points, the reigning champions never wavered. The eight-time MVP controlled the glass with 18 rebounds, anchoring a gritty inside effort that freed Perez and Trollano to do their damage.
Perez, for his part, kept it simple after the game. “I’m just thankful the shots were falling,” he said. “Hindi pilit. Today was just one of those nights.”
Scottie Thompson led Ginebra with 24 points, while Norbert Torres added 13, RJ Abarrientos had 12, and Japeth Aguilar chipped in 10. It wasn’t enough to stop a San Miguel side locked in on a return to the throne.
With the Kings dispatched, San Miguel now turns its full attention to TNT in what promises to be another bruising chapter in their growing rivalry. The PBA Philippine Cup crown is once again on the line—and the Beermen look very much ready for the fight.
