MANILA, Philippines – San Miguel lost to the Taoyuan Pilots 101-85 on Wednesday night at Philsports Arena in the East Asia Super League (EASL) Home and Away Season 2 for the second time in a row. The visiting P.League+ squad from Taiwan outscored the Beermen 28–13 as they were dominated in the second quarter after holding their own in the first. By halftime, the Pilots had a commanding 57-33 advantage thanks to this pivotal scoring spree, which San Miguel could not overcome in the next few quarters.

This defeat comes after San Miguel lost to Suwon KT Sonicboom of the Korean Basketball League 87-81 in their first game last month, dropping them to 0-2 in Group A. The Beermen’s difficulties in this season’s EASL competition underscore their difficulty acclimating to the demands of playing internationally.

The expulsion of senior guard Jericho Cruz for a disqualifying foul against Taoyuan import Alec Brown further compounded San Miguel’s problems. The Pilots were leading 86-68 at the time of the incident, which happened at 6:32 in the fourth quarter. Cruz’s dismissal significantly reduced San Miguel’s prospects of a comeback by taking a vital player out of the lineup.

There is now increasing pressure on the PBA Commissioner’s Cup winners to win their next games. San Miguel’s consecutive losses in Group A highlight the necessity of making tactical changes if they hope to succeed in the cutthroat EASL market. To play better and have a big influence in upcoming games, the squad will need to work on both offensive consistency and defensive discipline.

Peter Martin, the deputy coach for San Miguel, was disappointed with the team’s performance, admitting that they had hoped for a better performance but were disappointed again. Martin pointed out the team’s continuous challenges in adjusting to foreign norms and the altered nature of the game when playing on a worldwide scale. He did highlight one aspect of Quincy Miller’s performance, though, whose contributions during the game were particularly noteworthy. Martin’s remarks highlighted the difficulties San Miguel still has, especially in coordinating their play with international standards, which has proven to be a major obstacle. Miller’s efforts did, however, offer a constructive lesson from the game that could be applied to future encounters.

As evidenced by their most recent performance, the San Miguel Beermen’s continuous battle to raise their game to international standards is extremely difficult. Despite attempts to enhance their approach, the team has not yet made the required changes to compete well on the global scene, indicating a crucial area for improvement in upcoming games.

Only two Beermen scored in double figures in the most recent defeat. Showcasing his long-range accuracy with 3-of-5 shooting from outside the arc, the 6-foot-9 San Miguel international led the squad with 23 points and three rebounds. Don Trollano added 13 points and offered some more assistance. Other important actors, though, encountered challenges. Although he added 11 rebounds, June Mar Fajardo, who is often a consistent scorer, concluded with a modest seven points. Although EJ Anosike and CJ Perez each scored eight points, their combined efforts were insufficient to counter their opponents’ potent offensive display.

Alec Brown of Taoyuan scored 27 points and pulled down nine rebounds to lead the Pilots. He was hard for the Beermen to stop and almost had a double-double. Trevon Graham and Lu Chun-Hsiang, both big men, each scored 24 points to help the Pilots keep up their offensive surge. This win highlights Taoyuan’s versatility and strengthens their standing in the league as they now have an outstanding 2-0 road record.

San Miguel is under increasing pressure to adjust their approach and foster team unity as they proceed. If they want to raise their profile in the fiercely competitive East Asia Super League international scene, they must address these adaptation issues.

Scores at the end of the match

Taoyuan Pauian Pilots with 101 points for the win

Individual Scores: Brown 27, Graham 25, Lu 25, Pai 11, Li 5, Lin 2, Dieng 2, Chen 2, Kuan 2, Lin 0, Qiao 0.

San Miguel with 85 points

Individual Scores: Miller 32, Trollano 13, Anosike 8, Perez 8, Fajardo 7, Tautuaa 5, Romeo 4, Cruz 4, Rosales 3, Ross 1, Teng 0, Brondial 0.

Scores per quarter

25-20; 57-33; 83-56; 101-85.