The San Miguel Beermen, fueled by their seasoned veterans, powered through a rainy Friday evening at the Araneta Coliseum to decisively win Game 3 of the PBA Philippine Cup finals. This commanding 108-88 victory over TNT Tropang Giga gives the Beermen a crucial 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven championship series.
Head coach Leo Austria lauded the leadership of Junemar Fajardo and Chris Ross, whose experience proved pivotal in the Beermen’s dominant performance. “It’s the experience of the players,” Austria remarked. “They know the fourth quarter is pivotal, and Junemar and Chris truly understand how to handle a finals situation.”
Fajardo, largely unchallenged by TNT’s injured big man Poy Erram, was a force from the start. He exploded for 12 of his game-high 33 points in the second quarter, helping the Beermen establish a 59-52 halftime advantage. His three crucial free throws in the final 46 seconds of the first half further solidified San Miguel’s seven-point lead heading into the third period.
The momentum continued into the third quarter as Fajardo, Ross, and Don Trollano combined for an impressive 18 points. This offensive surge, coupled with stifling defense that limited TNT to just seven points in the final six minutes of the period, allowed the Beermen to extend their lead to a comfortable 16 points, 86-70, by the end of the third.
While Almond Vosotros tried to spark a TNT comeback with 11 of his 14 points in the final period, including two critical triples that cut the deficit to eight (80-88), Ross quickly extinguished any hopes. He poured in nine points in the last quarter, highlighted by back-to-back treys with 1:07 remaining, giving the Beermen an insurmountable 104-88 cushion.
TNT, missing the presence of the injured Erram, struggled with an undersized roster. Roger Pogoy led the Tropang Giga with 16 points, while Calvin Oftana, who finished with 15 points, was limited to just three in the final quarter.
