ANTIPOLO – San Miguel pulled off big plays on both ends to hack out a thrilling 98-93 come-from-behind victory over TNT for its second win in a row in the PBA Season 48 Commissioner’s Cup, Sunday night at the Ynares Center here.
CJ Perez nailed the tough go-ahead bucket with 1:50 to go, before Ivan Aska and Jericho Cruz helped to string together the crucial 6-0 run to close it out en route to securing their fifth win, getting the crew closer to the quarterfinals.
That finishing kick would not be possible without key stops against the Tropang Giga, none bigger than Perez’s deflection of Kib Montalbo’s inbound pass that soon led to Cruz’ free throws with 25.5 ticks left to put the game out of reach.
“These guys just didn’t wanna quit,” said head coach Jorge Gallent. “They just played hard. Everybody played hard. Everybody gave their hearts out.”
Aska led the Beermen with 25 points and nine rebounds in his final PBA game. He’s set to be replaced by Bennie Boatwright as the team aims to address its need for more inside presence with June Mar Fajardo still out.
“Since I got here, that was my motive; Giving everything I got,” Aska said. “I just came to do my job. At the end of the day, I can only control what I can control.”
Perez finished with a full line of 20 points, seven rebounds, two assists, two steals, and a block while Terrence Romeo supplied 14 for SMB, who once fell behind by a decade, 52-42, in the closing moments of the first half.
After sweeping both of their games in three days, San Miguel (5-3) will now have a week of break before playing Phoenix Super LPG in a Christmas Day encounter at the SMART Araneta Coliseum. Game time is at 4 p.m.
Calvin Oftana, on the other hand, made 27 points and 13 rebounds to lead TNT, who fell to an even 4-4 record following the defeat.
Hollis-Jefferson finished with 26 for a Tropang Giga side that had to finish the game without main man Jayson Castro, who suffered a quad injury and asked to be subbed out at the 8:17-mark of the fourth. He left with 12 points.
Glenn Khobuntin added 11 markers in the loss. The bruising forward was the one who pushed their lead to 91-87 with 3:42 to go, but Aska happened.
Aska cut the gap to half, and then dished it out to Chris Ross for the big trifecta to give the Beermen the 92-91 lead with under three minutes left.
Kib Montalbo brought TNT back up, 93-92, following a well-executed play but momentum appeared to have already swung San Miguel’s way at that point, with Perez and Co. delivering the final blows to secure the triumph.
The Tropa will turn their attention to Taipei Fubon in the East Asia Super League (EASL) on December 20 in Laguna before facing Ginebra on the 25th. The rematch of last season’s Governors’ Cup Finals is at 6:30 p.m.
The Scores:
San Miguel 98 – Aska 25, Perez 20, Romeo 14, Tautuaa 9, Cruz 9, Lassiter 6, Brondial 6, Ross 5, Trollano 4.
TNT 93 – Oftana 27, Hollis-Jefferson 26, Castro 12, Khobuntin 11, Montalbo 7, Ponferrada 6, Ganuelas-Rosser 4, Reyes 0, Tungcab 0, Galinato 0, Aurin 0.
Quarterscores: 22-29, 45-52, 69-75, 98-93.
