TNT did nothing out of the ordinary when manhandling San Miguel in Game 4 of the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup Finals, as far as CJ Perez is concerned.
It’s just that he and the Beermen showed little to no effort on both ends of the floor, leading to their worst loss in a championship series in about eight years.
“Actually, wala naman silang bagong ginawa,” the star guard offered moments after their 110-87 defeat at the SM Mall of Asia Arena, Wednesday night.
“‘Yung physicality, energy andun pa rin. ‘Yun lang naman talaga ‘yung ano. Actually, wala namang masyadong binago sa ginagawa nila. It’s just us, na hindi kami naka-adjust agad. ‘Di namin nabigay effort namin nang maaga,” he added.
Following their dramatic come-from-behind victory in Game 3 last Sunday in the same battleground thanks to Perez’s heroics, people believed that momentum had shifted in favor of the reigning champions.
The Tropang 5G, however, would turn the tables. Coach Chot Reyes’ men got off to a hot start, unloading 13 straight points for a 17-6 lead.
They went on to finish the opening period ahead by 17, setting the tone for the rout that saw the flagship MVP Group franchise lead by as many as 35.
TNT would post its biggest margin of victory in a PBA Finals since a 99-72 win over Barangay Ginebra in Game 5 of the Season 49 Governors’ Cup title bout — a series which they’d win in six games.
As for San Miguel, the defeat was its worst in this stage since getting blown out by the Kings, 130-100, in Game 4 of the Season 43 Commissioner’s Cup back in 2018, according to the league’s chief statistician, Fidel Mangonon III.
For Perez, it was that poor start that ultimately doomed their chances of building a commanding 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.
“Sobrang sama,” he rued.
“Wala talagang effort. Walang energy sa offense, sa defense. Nag-start sila nang sobrang ganda. ‘Yun problema.”
“Defense talaga at offense, ang pangit,” added the 32-year-old of the loss that also spoiled the Best Player of the Conference coronation of his teammate, June Mar Fajardo.
With the series now down to a virtual best-of-three, Perez said it’s now up to them to respond collectively in Game 5 this Friday.
“Palapit nang palapit, siyempre magiging mas intense pa ‘yan,” said the one-time BPC, who only had 11 points on 15 attempts.
“It’s up to us kung paano kami magre-respond sa adjustment, sa physicality na ibibigay ng TNT.”
#WATCH: WALA TALANG EFFORT 🏀
CJ Perez rues San Miguel’s lackadaisical outing during Game 4 of the #PBA50 Finals#ReadMore 👉 https://t.co/Xe74ZXTh5X
📹 @justinebacnis /Tiebreaker Times pic.twitter.com/5YQdDEot92
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) January 28, 2026
