The San Miguel Beermen celebrate their first Philippine Cup title since 2019 after beating the TNT Tropang Giga in Game 7 at Araneta Coliseum. PBA IMAGES
MANILA, Philippines—San Miguel Beer regained its winning ways on Sunday and became PBA Philippine Cup champion after a three-year wait by defeating TNT, 119-97, in the deciding Game 7 held at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
CJ Perez led a telling 17-0 run to open the fourth on his way to scoring 25 points as the Beermen captured their first championship since the 2019 Commissioner’s Cup before a crowd of 15,915.
June Mar Fajardo was named Honda PBA Press Corps Finals Most Valuable Player after a stellar performance of 19 points, 18 rebounds, five assists and two steals as San Miguel took back the All-Filipino crown since winning its fifth straight in 2019.
A pair of long-range triples by Chris Ross brought the finishing blows on a TNT side that refused to give up behind a hobbling Jayson Castro, who led a third quarter comeback from 11 down at the half to put his team up 89-84.
San Miguel Beer guard CJ Perez drives past TNT center Poy Eram during Game 7 of the 2022 PBA Philippine Cup Finals at Araneta Coliseum. PBA IMAGES
But TNT, playing without coach Chot Reyes after testing positive for COVID-19, ran out of gas at the most critical time, giving the room for San Miguel to make a big run led by Perez.
He had seven in that 17 straight points scored by the Beermen, capping off with a three-pointer that made it 101-89 with 7:20 to go in the fourth.
Castro finished with 32 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists but TNT was denied of a repeat All-Filipino championship.
The scores:
SAN MIGUEL 119 — Perez 25, Fajardo 19, Manuel 16, Lassiter 15, Tautuaa 13, Enciso 12, Ross 12, Cruz 4, Brondial 3, Zamar 0, Faundo 0.
TNT 97 — Castro 32, Williams M. 22, Pogoy 16, Rosario 11, Erram 7, Williams K. 6, Marcelo 3, Montalbo 0, Ganuelas-Rosser 0, Reyes 0, Alejandro 0.
Quarters: 29-31, 66-55, 84-89, 119-97.