CJ Perez and San Miguel can’t wait for the PBA Philippine Cup quarterfinals to commence, given the opportunity for redemption ahead.
The Beermen have formally clinched the top seed following a rout of the also-ran NorthPort on Sunday. With that, they’ve forged a showdown with the No. 8 team in Meralco in easily one of the most anticipated series in the playoffs’ first round.
“We need to redeem ourselves,” the three-time scoring champion offered moments after their dominant 126-91 victory at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.
It would be a rematch of the Season 48 Philippine Cup Finals, giving San Miguel a shot at revenge after the Bolts stunned them by winning the series in six — giving the franchise its first-ever championship in the league.
The heartbreak of that loss — which saw star guard Chris Newsome cement his legacy by knocking down the game-winning baseline jumper in the dying seconds of Game 6 — still lingers within the Beermen to this day.
It’s personal for Perez, too, as he struggled to be consistent during that series. He not only had his scoring drop, but also failed to keep his fouls in check.
(C) PBA Images
That’s why he couldn’t feel more excited about the game ahead, firm in his belief that they can get back and oust their rivals from the throne.
“I think it’s a different ball game now,” said the Gilas Pilipinas stalwart, who finished with 24 points and five rebounds against the Batang Pier.
“I think sa effort namin and sa system nina Coach, makakabawi kami.”
There’s renewed hope within the SMB camp, especially with Coach Leo Austria in his second conference back at the helm, the same man who steered the club to an unprecedented ‘five-peat’ in the Philippine Cup.
Add to that the hunger to bounce back in this season-ending conference after a disappointing Commissioner’s Cup in which they failed to reach the playoffs.
“It’s a motivation for us because it was a disappointing conference for us. I think that’s one thing na nadala sa mindset ng players,” said Austria.
But of course, it’s not lost on Perez that it won’t be that easy to accomplish. Still, they know exactly how to prepare by the time they finally meet Meralco, who’s fresh off a quarterfinal stint in the BCL Asia 2025 in Dubai.
“They have a good system, so kailangan din namin tapatan ‘yung energy nila. Sa defense, kailangan namin mag-focus sa defense and the offense will come ‘pag dumipensa kami ng maayos,” the two-time champion said.
“Pressuring the ball, running sa transition defense, ayun ‘yung mga kailangan naming i-improve pa. So ‘yun yung tinitingnan namin kasi si Meralco, they love to run also eh.”
