MANILA, Philippines – On Friday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, San Miguel Beer defeated Barangay Ginebra by a slim margin, 104-93 in the PBA Philippine Cup, demonstrating their strong comeback after a close loss in their last game.

The Beermen dominated the tempo from beginning to end, displaying composure and intensity following their devastating 95-98 loss to Magnolia. With 23 points, including two crucial four-pointers that stopped Ginebra’s second-half comeback attempts, CJ Perez led the well-balanced San Miguel offense. In the season-ending conference, his timely shooting was crucial to San Miguel’s third victory in four games.

Don Trollano, who scored 19 points and maintained his excellent play, supported Perez, while six-time MVP June Mar Fajardo added a strong 18 points and a lot of rebounds. The Beermen’s extensive scoring arsenal was demonstrated by Jericho Cruz’s 11 points, Juami Tiongson’s 10 points, and veteran shooter Marcio Lassiter’s 10 points each.

San Miguel shot an effective 51.9 percent from the field, showcasing their attacking effectiveness. The Beermen got out to a fast start, leading 25–11 at the end of the first quarter and maintaining their lead throughout. They had a double-digit lead the entire time and led by as much as 23 points during the match.

Ginebra, which had just defeated Terrafirma 101-80, found it difficult to settle into a rhythm against the Beermen’s well-organized defense and explosive offense. The team led by head coach Tim Cone struggled early and never recovered. On two separate instances, the Kings were able to reduce the gap to 12 points, but Perez put an end to any dreams of a comeback with a four-point play that killed momentum.

San Miguel’s defense stifled Ginebra’s inside scoring, limiting Japeth Aguilar, who exploded for 30 points in their last game, to just 12 points. The fact that no Ginebra player scored in double figures throughout the first half highlighted the team’s offensive difficulties.

San Miguel Beer established supremacy on both ends of the court in the first half of the game, leading 48–30 at the break. The Beermen were incredibly efficient offensively, going 8-of-16 from beyond the arc and hitting 50% of their three-point tries. Barangay Ginebra was kept on the defensive and early separation was caused by this incisive outside shooting. San Miguel’s unrelenting defensive pressure held Ginebra to a meager 30% field goal shooting clip. The Kings, who are renowned for their ability to score from the perimeter, were unable to establish a rhythm and only made one of eight three-point attempts.

San Miguel’s early spark was Don Trollano, who led the club with 11 points in the first half, including three successful long-range attempts. With eight points and eight rebounds, June Mar Fajardo, the six-time MVP, contributed a consistent interior presence. Both the seasoned core and the second unit kept the energy high throughout the game, and their early contributions set the stage for a consistent effort from the entire team.

This overwhelming all-around performance sent a strong message to the rest of the league and highlighted San Miguel’s championship heritage. The Beermen, led by head coach Jorge Gallent, displayed a well-balanced and disciplined approach that highlighted a number of Ginebra’s lineup flaws. They put on a strong comeback after losing by a slim margin in the last game.

With the victory, San Miguel’s Philippine Cup record rose to 3-1, while Ginebra’s fell to 1-1. The Beermen will try to maintain this momentum in their next games, solidifying their place among the league’s top contenders, with their sights set firmly on winning the championship again.

Scores at the end of the match

San Miguel with 104 points for the win

Individual scores: Perez 23, Trollano 19, Fajardo 18, Cruz 11, Tiongson 10, Lassiter 10, Rosales 8, Calma 4, Teng 1, Brondial 0, Cahilig 0, Tautuaa 0, Ross 0.

Ginebra with 93 points

Individual scores: Rosario 24, Holt 16, Malonzo 16, Thompson 14, J. Aguilar 12, Abarrientos 6, Pinto 3, Ahanmisi 2, Cu 0, R. Aguilar 0, Adamos 0.

Scores per quarter

25-11, 48-30, 83-65, 104-93