San Miguel Beer moved closer to reclaiming the PBA Philippine Cup crown after defeating TNT, 96–82, in Game 5 on Friday at the Ynares Center, taking a 3–2 lead in the best-of-seven Finals.
The Beermen erased an early 16-point deficit and clawed back to within one at halftime, 48–47, following a strong second-quarter turnaround.
They sustained the momentum after the break, pulling away in the third period and holding off TNT’s comeback attempts in a physical contest marked by several technical fouls.
“It was a sign na the hustle was there and the hard work ay talagang nandoon, nakikita namin,” San Miguel head coach Leo Austria said after the game.
The victory came on the heels of a lopsided 87–110 loss in the previous outing, signaling a strong bounce-back by the defending champions.
Rodney Brondial delivered a breakout performance for San Miguel, finishing with 17 points and 15 rebounds to earn Player of the Game honors.
He provided stability when nine-time PBA MVP June Mar Fajardo briefly sat out after tweaking his knee in the third quarter. Fajardo still managed a double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds, while Don Trollano also scored 14 points.
San Miguel now has a chance to clinch the all-Filipino title on Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.
For TNT, Calvin Oftana led the way with 20 points and nine rebounds, but the Tropang 5G now face a must-win situation, needing back-to-back victories to keep their championship hopes alive.