The San Miguel Beermen are one win away from adding a 30th PBA championship and ending TNT's second bid to win a Grand Slam.
With a commanding 3-1 lead in the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup Finals, San Miguel aims to clinch its 30th championship when it faces the banged-up but battling TNT Tropang 5G in Game 5 of the best-of-seven series on Wednesday, July 23.
The match starts at 7:30pm at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Riding a wave of momentum, the Beermen have rattled off three straight wins after a controversial Game 1 loss, the latest a 105-91 victory in Game 4 where they exploded for 41 points in the fourth quarter.
[RELATED STORY: Austria says Game 1 loss ‘biggest impact’ in SMB's Philippine Cup title drive: 'It fuels our grit’]
Head coach Leo Austria said that frustrating opener — where Mo Tautuaa’s potential game-winning dunk was ruled offensive basket interference — lit a fire under his squad.
“I think the biggest impact is our first game. It fuels our grit,” said Austria. “You can see naman on the players, in their eyes, makikita mo 'yong fire. They want to win.”
Still, the players didn’t exactly dwell on it. If anything, veteran guard Jericho Cruz, who spearheaded the Game 4 win with 23 points, including 15 in the fourth quarter, said it helped make them sharp and focused.
“Pero tapos na 'yon. Nag-move on na kami doon,” said Cruz. “Pagpasok namin, paglaro namin, talagang put that in your head na every game is your last game.”
[ALSO READ: PBA: Juami Tiongson plays down spat with Almond Vosotros in San Miguel’s Game 4 win]
CJay Perez backed him up with 16 points, five assists, a steal, and a block, while June Mar Fajardo anchored the middle with 15 points, 12 rebounds, three steals, and two blocks — a complete performance that reflected San Miguel’s championship poise.
A win on Wednesday would not only cap a redemptive run after a controversial start but also deny TNT a Grand Slam bid and further cement San Miguel’s dynastic dominance in the All-Filipino conference.
Now, with the fire lit and history within reach, the Beermen return to the Big Dome looking to finish what they’ve started.
[ALSO READ: June Mar Fajardo grateful for 12th BPC trophy, but keeps PBA awards from getting to his head]
(With reports from Jan Ballesteros)
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[Editor's note: This article was written by a member of the One Sports Digital with the help of AI, and then checked by the staff to ensure accuracy.]