PBA Finals: June Mar Fajardo, San Miguel seek retaliation vs TNT in Game 5

For San Miguel, the message heading into Game 5 of the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup Finals against TNT is simple: start stronger or risk letting the crown slowly slip away.

The Beermen were never able to recover from a disastrous opening quarter in Game 4, falling 87-110 and allowing the Tropang 5G to square the series at two games apiece.

This is what SMB needs to address if it wants to get the pivotal 3-2 edge Friday, Jan. 30.

Tipoff is set at 7:30 p.m. at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.

[RELATED STORY: Chot Reyes pleased as TNT ties PBA Finals series vs San Miguel in Game 4]

Even newly minted Best Player of the Conference June Mar Fajardo could not fully pull San Miguel out of the early hole.

After being held scoreless in the opening period, the nine-time Most Valuable Player still finished with 18 points and 16 rebounds, along with two assists and two steals.

But the damage had already been done, as TNT’s early blitz left the Beermen playing catch-up the entire night.

Don Trollano chipped in 13 points, while Cjay Perez, heroic in the previous game with a late seven-point outburst, was limited to 11 markers.

[RELATED STORY: TNT big Henry Galinato on SMB ace Cjay Perez: 'Great players make big-time shots']

Perez later pointed to the team’s lack of effort on both ends as the root cause of their sluggish start, a lapse San Miguel knows it cannot afford in a series of this magnitude.

With the Finals now a virtual best-of-three, the Beermen will lean on their championship poise and depth to bounce back.

Expect a more focused defensive effort and a sharper opening from Leo Austria’s squad as San Miguel looks to regain control and move one step closer to another Philippine Cup title.

(With reports from Jan Ballesteros)

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[Editor’s note: This article was written by a member of One Sports Digital with the help of AI and reviewed by editorial staff for accuracy.]