MANILA, Philippines – On Sunday night at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig, the San Miguel Beermen once again showed off their championship heritage by defeating the struggling Blackwater Bossing 115–78 in the 2025 PBA Philippine Cup. The Beermen showed no signs of slowing down as they won their third straight game, improved to a 6–2 record, and solidified their hold on a spot in the top four despite missing three of their important players due to sickness.

San Miguel put on one of its most comprehensive performances of the conference despite the absence of starters Marcio Lassiter, Jeron Teng, and Juami Tiongson, who were all sidelined due to eye strain. Several players stepped up in crucial situations, demonstrating the team’s depth. The team’s discipline and solidarity in overcoming the roster setback were commended by coach Leo Austria. Even while playing a lower-ranked club, he underlined the value of developing positive habits, pointing out that momentum and consistency are crucial as the eliminations draw to a close.

With 20 points and his typical enthusiasm on both sides of the court, CJ Perez spearheaded the attack. Don Trollano filled the void caused by the absence of the wing players with 15 points, while June Mar Fajardo, who is always dependable in the paint, led the Beermen’s attack with 17 points and 13 rebounds.

San Miguel took command of the first quarter right away, leading 24–22 at the half. They had increased the deficit to 52–39 by halftime. The Beermen outscored Blackwater 34–18 in the third quarter, turning the match into a landslide. Blackwater’s defense was overpowered by their unrelenting speed and ball movement, and the Beermen easily won 29–21 in the fourth quarter.

The game demonstrated San Miguel’s bench depth in addition to its star strength. JM Calma finished with 16 points on effective shooting, his finest performance while wearing a Beermen shirt. Jericho Cruz led the squad in assists with eight and scored 13 points. Mo Tautuaa scored nine points and Chris Ross added eleven, allowing San Miguel to maintain offensive pressure all game long. The Beermen also controlled the tempo and dominated second-chance opportunities thanks to their dominant 55–44 rebounding advantage.

One important lesson from the game, according to Coach Austria, was the excellent performances of their reserve players. He underlined the significance of keeping the entire roster healthy and prepared due to the demanding schedule and the impending postseason weariness. The victory also improved the Beermen’s chances of finishing in the top four, which would give them the benefit of having a two-to-beat record in the quarterfinals. Austria has emphasized time and again how important this goal is to their hopes of winning the championship.

Conversely, Blackwater continued to deteriorate, losing for the fifth time in a row and falling to 1-7 in the rankings. Terrafirma and they are presently tied for last place. The Bossing, who had a strong start to the conference, have struggled to maintain consistency due to bad shooting and defensive lapses.

With 15 points and six rebounds, Christian David was Blackwater’s only bright spot. RK Ilagan scored 14 points, but amid San Miguel’s defensive pressure, he found it difficult to coordinate the attack. Sedrick Barefield, who had scored 26 points in their last game, was obviously frustrated by the Beermen’s perimeter defense as he was only able to score five points on 2-of-14 shooting.

The team’s failure to react to San Miguel’s surge in the third quarter proved to be disastrous. The Beermen scored a lot of points in transition because of turnovers and missed defensive rotations, and the Bossing were unable to build a significant comeback. Given that there are just a few games remaining in the elimination stage, head coach Jeff Cariaso admitted that the club needs to quickly reassemble.

The upcoming games will be crucial for the Beermen. Every victory becomes vital with difficult assignments left, especially games against other playoff contenders. Although the team is happy with their performance, Coach Austria emphasized that they cannot afford to be complacent. He wants his players to remain focused, especially while they wait for their injured teammates to return.