PBA: San Miguel the better team vs Barangay Ginebra in semis series, says Cone

For Barangay Ginebra head coach Tim Cone, the San Miguel Beermen were simply the better team in their semifinal series in the PBA Philippine Cup.

The Beermen ousted the Gin Kings on Friday with a dominant 101–88 victory in Game 6 of the series, riding a career-high 41-point performance from CJ Perez.

“They were obviously the better team. They made all the big shots, they made all the big stops, not just tonight, but throughout the whole series,” Cone said on Friday.

“Tonight, CJ just came out and deflated the energy in our defense by the shots he made.”

Perez poured in 30 of his 41 points in the first quarter alone.

Barangay Ginebra coach Tim Cone after Game 6 loss to SMB: They made all the big shots, they made all the big stops, not just tonight but throughout the whole series. @gmanews @gmanews pic.twitter.com/fozsB2gmHj

— JK Carandang (@jk_carandang) January 16, 2026

While Barangay Ginebra had a better second half, outscoring the Beermen 24–16 in the third period, Cone said San Miguel always had answers to their runs.

“That was just kind of the story of the whole series. We just couldn't make that, couldn't step up big time. And they did.”

The Beermen will face TNT in a best-of-seven Finals series as they aim to defend the All-Filipino crown.

—JKC, GMA Integrated News