San Miguel moved a win away from advancing to the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup Finals after weathering a late-game fightback by Barangay Ginebra, 115-109, in Game 5 of the semis Wednesday night at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
The Beermen saw their 111-99 lead fall to just two, thanks to a stepback triple by RJ Abarrientos with 13.4 seconds to go. It also didn’t help that CJ Perez muffed both of his free throws that could’ve given them more room.
Luckily, his teammates managed to secure the offensive rebound. June Mar Fajardo stepped up by going perfect from the foul line and making it a 113-109 advantage with only 8.3 seconds remaining.
Chris Ross and SMB then prevented the Kings from executing a play apparently set for RJ Abarrientos, leading to a key steal. Marcio Lassiter would go on to seal the triumph by going 2-for-2 from the line with 1.1 seconds left.
(C) PBA Images
Now with the 3-2 lead, the defending champions will try to close out the best-of-7 series in Game 6 this Friday, January 16, also at the Big Dome.
“We know Ginebra’s fighting spirit. Hindi pwedeng NSD sila kung wala noon. Nakita natin, they fell behind by 17 pero nakabalik pa rin sila,” said Coach Leo Austria. “But the players know how to deal with that kind of situation.”
Fajardo top-scored for San Miguel with 21 points and 11 rebounds. He looked like his usual self, despite not being at 100-percent, still, due to shoulder issues.
Perez finished with 20 points, while Mo Tautuaa delivered 18 points and nine rebounds as the seasoned big man provided the surprise spark this time.
Lassiter made 16 points in his best game of the series to date, while Don Trollano supplied 13 as five players scored in double digits in the victory.
(C) PBA Images
Ross, for his part, submitted all-around numbers of nine points, three rebounds, and eight assists as he came through with big plays on both ends.
“Honestly, I don’t know how long I would still be playing. I don’t think it would be long, that’s why I’m playing as if it’s the last. I’m playing my heart out, and just let the card fall wherever it might be,” said the 40-year-old playing deputy.
Scottie Thompson led Ginebra with 20 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists, plus three steals in the 17-point comeback that fell short.
Abarrientos had 18 points, five rebounds, and seven assists. Stephen Holt made 17 points, while Japeth Aguilar added 16 points in the loss.
The Scores:
San Miguel 115 – Fajardo 21, Perez 20, Tautuaa 18, Lassiter 16, Trollano 13, Ross 9, Cruz 8, Brondial 5, Cahilig 5, Tiongson 0, Rosales 0
Ginebra 109 – Thompson 20, Abarrientos 18, Holt 17, J. Aguilar 16, Cu 8, Gray 8, David 7, R. Aguilar 6, Torres 5, Pinto 3, Rosario 1
Quarterscores: 25-26, 58-49, 90-78, 115-109.
#WATCH: Leo Austria talks about San Miguel’s big #PBA50 Semifinals Game 5 win to close in on the Finals 🏀#ReadMore 👉 https://t.co/vSrEiO5oll
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— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) January 14, 2026
