MANILA, Philippines – After a resounding 108-88 triumph over TNT Tropang Giga in Game 3 of the best-of-seven finals series, the San Miguel Beermen are currently within striking distance of clinching the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup title. The decisive victory put San Miguel in a great position to win the All-Filipino title again, as they now lead the series 3-1.

The Beermen took charge at the first whistle thanks to their depth, size, and superior execution. With an impressive 33 points and 11 rebounds, center June Mar Fajardo spearheaded the attack. Notably, he was extremely efficient in the first half, making the vast majority of his free throw attempts and shooting almost perfectly from the field. With a 48-28 lead in paint scoring and physical dominance on both ends of the court, San Miguel made the most of their home-court advantage.

TNT’s defense was never able to fully control Fajardo because of his presence in the paint, which caused them matchup difficulties time and time again. The Tropang Giga’s heavy hitters, including Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser, Henry Galinato, and Kelly Williams, were unable to contain the Beermen’s frontcourt. The offensive rhythm of San Miguel thrived because of their steady shooting from beyond the arc and their control of the interior.

Even without Fajardo’s genius, the Beermen benefited from the efforts of their supporting players. In addition to his 15 points, Chris Ross made clutch three-pointers that exacerbated the lead and thwarted TNT’s comeback efforts. Don Trollano and CJ Perez both had double-digit scoring, and Jericho Cruz added 13 points. It was clear that San Miguel had championship-level teamwork thanks to their balanced scoring and proficiency in transition and half-court sets.

Even with a large lead in the latter minutes, head coach Leo Austria praised his team’s determination, saying that the Beermen maintained their aggressiveness, forced mistakes, and did not let themselves get complacent. Their enthusiasm from their tight but essential victory in Game 2 carried over into this victory. But Game 3 was a statement, a display of domination by a squad hell-bent on retaking the league lead.

Meanwhile, TNT Tropang Giga is in a jam on the flip side of the show. The squad’s injury woes have made it difficult for them to compete with their opponents’ depth and zeal. With the continued absence of veteran guard Jayson Castro and forward Rey Nambatac, TNT’s frontcourt rotation is further weakened by the early exit of center Poy Erram in Game 3 due to an ankle injury.

TNT relied significantly on a shortened rotation in Erram’s absence. The team’s offensive flow was choppy and turnovers were on the rise when head coach Chot Reyes shifted Jordan Heading to the point guard position due to a thinned out backcourt. As San Miguel tightened their defensive grip, TNT’s incoherence and lack of options for creating offense became clear.

Despite the obstacles, TNT is resolute in its fightback. The squad is not giving up; rather, Coach Reyes has said that they will keep training in the hopes of extending the series. In Game 4, the Tropang Giga will look to continue their strong season by refocusing and making the required adjustments.

On Sunday, July 20, the forthcoming match will take place in Pasay City’s SM Mall of Asia Arena. June Mar Fajardo is on track to win the conference MVP award for a record-tying 12th time, while San Miguel is certain to receive individual recognition for its efforts. Although it is simply a ceremonial prize, San Miguel will be even more motivated to win the series and show their fans how it was done.

The road ahead for TNT is not easy. The Tropang Giga need to figure out how to rekindle their attack and limit San Miguel’s interior production because they have key players out with injuries and the Beermen are playing at a high level. In order to stay in the game and not get eliminated, their role players will need to perform very well under pressure.

San Miguel’s objective is very clear: win the series and win the Philippine Cup again, which they lost in 2023. They have a ton of reasons to be confident that they can win the championship thanks to their deep bench, senior leadership, and dominant big man.