TNT eyes a 2-0 lead in the PBA 50th Season Philippine Cup Finals against San Miguel as the series returns to the Ynares Center-Antipolo for Game 2. Here is a preview, and the keys to victory for both squads.
SAN MIGUEL VS. TNT
When: Friday, January 23. 7:30 p.m.
Where: Ynares Center-Antipolo
TNT goes for 2-0 lead
TNT will try to do what it hasn’t done in recent finals playoffs against – take a 2-0 lead. The Tropang 5G beat the Beermen, 96-91, to grab the upper hand. But over the past two times that they squared off in the Philippine Cup Finals in the 2023 and 2025 editions, the Beermen have gone on to beat the Tropang 5G in Game 2.
Bench play will be critical again
TNT was sparked by the play of its bench mob, outscoring the league’s best, 48-27, in Game 1. Jordan Heading led the TNT bench with 13 points and Henry Galinato adding 12 points. Even the usual bench players stepped up with Simon Enciso contributing 10 points in a starting role in Game 1. San Miguel coach Leo Austria mentioned the need for the team’s bench to step up after the loss.
Among the bench players that struggled for San Miguel were Don Trollano (1-of-7 from the field) and Marcio Lassiter (0-of-3 in 18 minutes).
June Mar in his usual form
June Mar Fajardo was his dominant self in Gamr One with 24 points and 17 rebounds for the Beermen. As dominant as the nine-time MVP was, Fajardo needed support from his teammates moving forward. Mo Tautuaa did have 22 points and Cjay Perez 16 but these were not enough.
Control the boards
TNT lorded over the boards in Game 1, 55-42, with Calvin Oftana grabbing 10, Kelly Williams 9, and Jordan Heading 8, even with June Mar Fajardo’s 17. The Tropang 5G must continue to do a good job at boxing out their defenders in Game 2.
Misfiring from threes
Another reason why San Miguel lost Game 1 was its outside shooting, or lack thereof. The Beermen only shot 5-of-25 from threes, with Don Trollano going 0-for-4, and Marcio Lassiter 0-for-3. Cjay Perez did made two but that was on eight attempts. In contrast, TNT made nine in Game 1.
TNT turnovers must be lessened
TNT led by as many as 19 points but that gap fizzled into one during the final minutes, no thanks to several turnovers down the stretch. TNT had more turnovers, 19-12, that led to 25 turnover points from San Miguel. Head coach Chot Reyes emphasized that they need to cut down on their errors in order to have a chance at Game 2.
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