(PBA images)
After a heartbreaking loss in the opener, San Miguel Beer came out swinging on Wednesday night, delivering a strong bounce-back performance to edge TNT Tropang Giga, 98-92, and even the PBA Philippine Cup Finals at one game apiece at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
This time, there was no need for drama—just pure, determined basketball.
Don Trollano took center stage in the fourth quarter, exploding for clutch buckets on his way to a team-high 22 points. The Beermen leaned on the frontcourt duo of June Mar Fajardo and Mo Tautuaa, who combined for 33 points and anchored the paint on both ends.
Their efforts helped San Miguel shrug off its narrow Game 1 loss (96-99) and shift the momentum in the best-of-seven series, which resumes Friday at the Big Dome.
Despite playing through adversity, TNT didn’t back down easily. Calvin Oftana led the charge with 23 points, while import-like contributions from Tyler Tio Heading (15 points) and Mikey Williams (11 points) kept the Tropang Giga in striking distance. But injuries hampered their rhythm—RR Pogoy played limited minutes after rolling his ankle early, and Poy Erram exited with a swollen ankle that disrupted their interior defense.
The turning point came late in the fourth, when Trollano went on a personal 7-0 run, capped by a corner three that gave San Miguel a commanding 92-82 lead. TNT tried to mount a final push but came up short, hampered by missed layups and costly turnovers in crunch time.
San Miguel’s cohesion was evident from tip-off. In the first half alone, the Beermen dominated the paint with a 38-8 scoring advantage, thanks to the combined efforts of Fajardo, Trollano, and Jeron Teng. The team also turned defense into offense, scoring 15 points off TNT’s turnovers while committing just two errors themselves.
By halftime, the Beermen were firmly in control, leading 51-39. But TNT fought back with a barrage of triples in the third, cutting the deficit to one, 75-74, entering the final period. They tied the game at 77-all early in the fourth, only to see San Miguel shut the door with poise and precision.
With the series now tied, all eyes turn to Game 3 as both teams prepare for another fierce showdown.
Scoring Breakdown:
San Miguel 98 – Trollano 22, Fajardo 17, Tautuaa 16, Teng 10, Perez 8, Ross 7, Cruz 6, Brondial 6, Tiongson 4, Lassiter 2
TNT 92 – Oftana 23, Heading 15, Williams 11, Ganuelas-Rosser 10, Enciso 7, Erram 6, Pogoy 6, Khobuntin 6, Aurin 4, Heruela 4
Quarter Scores: 23-19, 51-39, 75-74, 98-92