San Miguel Close to Securing Victory in Philippine Cup Finals

Another fourth quarter avalanche by the San Miguel Beermen has moved them within a win from regaining all-Filipino supremacy after a 105-91 victory over the TNT Tropang 5G in the 2025 PBA Philippine Cup on Sunday. With their third straight win in this series, they will have three shots to close out the finals.

Jericho Cruz delivered in the clutch, sparking San Miguel's strong finish with his energy and timely scoring. Alongside better defensive adjustments, smart rotations, and key contributions from their bench, the team took control late.

TNT opened the game with a different approach to attack the frontcourt tandem of June Mar Fajardo and Mo Tautuaa, utilizing screening actions involving Kelly Williams and Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser. The strategy worked early as they built a 12-point lead in the first quarter and forced Fajardo to constantly navigate through screens while tiring him out on defense. But with San Miguel's deep bench and flexibility, head coach Leo Austria quickly made the necessary adjustments.

In the second quarter, San Miguel ramped up their defensive intensity. They tightened their point-of-attack coverage and used aggressive hard shows on TNT's ball screens, effectively denying drives and disrupting offensive rhythm.

To further combat TNT's mobility, Austria utilized Jeron Teng at the four spot once again -- a small-ball option who could switch big-to-big actions with his blend of strength and lateral quickness. This move forced TNT to match with a smaller lineup, which actually played into Teng's physical advantage.

San Miguel also found instant offense from Juami Tiongson, Don Trollano, and Cruz, helping the team to have its best shooting game from 3-point range at 54.2% (13-of-24). The adjustments swung the momentum in San Miguel's favor, as they outscored TNT 24-14 in the quarter and took an eight-point halftime lead.

TNT responded in the third behind the hot hand of Jordan Heading, who took advantage of mismatches off ball screens. With San Miguel placing Tiongson on him and switching actions that left either Rodney Brondial or Tautuaa on an island, Heading capitalized, pouring in 23 points and five assists on an ultra-efficient 86.3 TS%. Yet, San Miguel was quick to reassert control.

Despite TNT's solid front defense on the newly minted Best Player of the Conference Fajardo throughout the game, it created new opportunities for San Miguel. With the defense keyed in on denying Fajardo the ball, Cruz found lanes to attack and exploded for 15 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter. His aggressive drives, paired with TNT's lack of a true rim protector in those moments, proved decisive. CJ Perez also made timely contributions, finishing with an efficient 16 points on 67.3 TS%.

With the loss, TNT now faces the daunting task of winning three straight games to keep their Grand Slam hopes alive. But with San Miguel firing on all cylinders, they look poised to shut the door and finish the job in Game 5.