The San Miguel Beermen moved a step closer to capturing their 11th Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup title after a dominant 105-91 win over the TNT Tropang 5G in Game 4 on Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Fueled by killer instincts, clutch shooting, and Jericho Cruz’s leadership in the final stretch, the Beermen now hold a commanding 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series of the 49th PBA Philippine Cup Finals.
“Yung sinabi ko sa kanila—your killer instincts in endgame situations, you should never give up—and that’s what we saw tonight,” said San Miguel head coach Leo Austria.
TNT stayed within striking distance in the third quarter behind a fiery Jordan Heading, who scored 11 of his 23 points in that frame. He led a 17-2 run that erased a 12-point deficit, flipping a 50-62 scoreline into a 67-64 lead entering the fourth.
But the Beermen roared back, with Cruz burying three crucial triples that swung the momentum back to San Miguel, giving them an 84-79 edge with 5:10 left on the clock.
“There were so many combinations they threw at us, but the players responded exactly how they needed to,” Austria added.
CJ Perez added seven of his 16 points in the payoff period, including a dagger three-pointer with 2:23 remaining that extended their lead to 95-84.
Fresh off winning his 12th Best Player of the Conference award, Junemar Fajardo delivered 15 points and 12 rebounds. His putback with 1:02 to play further widened the gap to 98-88, effectively sealing the win.
TNT’s Kelly Williams and Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser each scored 14 points but were shut down in the final quarter. San Miguel’s defense forced the Tropang Giga into five turnovers and limited them to just 10 points in the first six minutes of the fourth.
The Beermen can clinch the championship on Wednesday when Game 5 unfolds at 7:30 p.m. at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
