AN ALTERCATION with his coach notwithstanding, CJ Perez took over the game in the fourth quarter and delivered a killer endgame binge.
Back-to-back hits by Perez from downtown inside the final minute propelled San Miguel Beer to its second straight victory and a pivotal 2-1 lead over TNT in the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup best-of-seven finals Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, at the MOA Arena.
Perez drilled a four-pointer and then a three-pointer in a lethal blitz, lifting the Beermen to a 95-89 win and into the driver’s seat heading into Game 4, also at the Pasay City venue on Wednesday, Jan. 28.
“I just want to win,” said Perez of his gutsy plays, highlighting a 17-point sizzler in the fourth quarter after struggling with just three markers in the first 36 minutes of play.
“Early on, we had an altercation, but it turned out well. He apologized, he focused and he showed that he wanted to prove something,” said San Miguel coach Leo Austria in mixed Tagalog and English.
“We weren’t after the four-point shot actually but knowing CJ, he just wants to win and I never forbid him from shooting from any part of court as long as it’s a good shot and it needs to be taken,” he added.
Perez’s seven-point blitz spiked a nine-to-nothing SMB closing run in an exciting duel of surges, after the Tropang 5G had taken an 89-86 lead on a 10-0 tear by Rey Nambatac, Calvin Oftana and Henry Galinato.
San Miguel, starring June Mar Fajardo and Moala Tautuaa, seized control early, 33-19, but the Tropang 5G found their rhythm in the second period and surged ahead, 50-44, at halftime.
Oftana and his teammates stayed in control through the third period before the Beermen countered to turn the game into a seesaw battle.
San Miguel had the final laugh, following up its 111-92 triumph in Game 2 -- thanks to Perez’s sudden explosion.
Don Trollano scored 19, while Fajardo punched in 16 that went with a monster 27-rebound output. Tautuaa (14) and Marcio Lassiter (10) also played solid ball to help SMB take command of the series.
The scores:
San Miguel 95 -- Perez 20, Trollano 19, Fajardo 16, Tautuaa 14, Lassiter 10, Cruz 8, Brondial 4, Teng 4, Ross 0, Tiongson 0
TNT 89 - Oftana 25, Heading 15, Rosser 15, Nambatac 12, Galinato 6, Khobuntin 5, Erram 4, Pogoy 4, Enciso 3, Williams 0, Jalalon 0
Quarters: 33-19, 44-50, 67-72, 95-89. / PBA.PH