Jericho Cruz, CJ Perez heat up late as San Miguel nears return to PBA Philippine Cup throne

Jericho Cruz and CJ Perez plotted San Miguel's fourth quarter surge as the Beermen carved out a 105-91 win against injury-riddled TNT in Game 4 of the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup Finals on Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena. 

Cruz waxed hot from downtown while Perez provided timely baskets as the Beermen seized a commanding 3-1 series lead to move a victory away from reclaiming the All-Filipino crown. 

Cruz also fired three three-pointers in the final period to finish with a team-high 23 points, laced with three rebounds, one assist, and one steal off the bench, while Perez posted 16 markers, three boards, five dimes, one steal, and one block.

June Mar Fajardo, who just bagged his record-extending 12th Best Player of the Conference award, tallied 15 markers, 12 rebounds, three steals, and two blocks.

"The biggest impact is our first game — it fuels our grit. You can see naman sa mga players na on their eyes, makikita mo 'yung fire. They want to win," San Miguel head coach Leo Austria said.

"We had a bad start in the first quarter, but the bench stepped up. They provided a lot of energy that was very infectious and then we're able to tie the game and get the lead and from there, 'yung energy and intensity namin ay naging aggressive."

A slow start suddenly saw San Miguel taking control of the game when veteran Marcio Lassiter caught fire in the third by unleashing a four-pointer and a triple that extended their  lead to 62-50.

But TNT, despite a thin roster with Simon Enciso joining to the injury list, mounted a fierce rampage led by Jordan Heading, whose three three-pointers sent the Tropang 5G to a 67-64 cushion before the crucial fourth period.

RR Pogoy then joined Heading in the shootout after the former buried a triple of his own and completed a three-point play that sliced their deficit to two, 81-79.

Cruz and Perez, though, took it from there. Cruz knocked down a booming triple over Pogoy before Perez escaped the defense of Poy Erram for a layup that made it an 88-79 lead for San Miguel.

Perez and Fajardo sank a pair of freebies each before the former nailed the dagger three-pointer that pushed San Miguel's lead to 11 with 2:24 left to play, 95-84.

San Miguel, the winningest franchise in the Philippine Cup, now stands at the doorstep of history after the victory as the Beermen look to finish TNT on Wednesday. 

A win there would give the Beermen their 10th All-Filipino crown and allow them to reclaim the title they lost to Meralco last season.

Scores:

San Miguel 105 – Cruz 23, Perez 16, Fajardo 15, Trollano 11, Lassiter 10, Tiongson 8, Ross 7, Teng 6, Tautuaa 4, Calma 3, Brondial 2, Cahilig 0.

TNT 91 – Heading 23, Williams 14, Ganuelas-Rosser 14, Oftana 11, Pogoy 11, Khobuntin 7, Erram 6, Vosotros 3, Nieto 0, Heruela 0.

Quarters: 21-23, 45-37, 64-67, 105-91.

—JKC, GMA Integrated News