Beermen repulse Tropang Giga, tie PBA finals in Chot's absence

MANILA, Philippines – The San Miguel Beermen evened their PBA Philippine Cup finals series against the TNT Tropang Giga, winning Game Two 109-100 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Wednesday.

The Beermen, who were only ahead 82-79 heading into the final frame, opened the fourth with a 13-1 run to blow TNT out of the water.

Missing head coach Chot Reyes due to Gilas duties, TNT managed to fight back and get within single digits, 92-100, with 4:39 left.

But big men Junemar Fajardo and Vic Manuel stepped up with an and-one play and back-to-back baskets, respectively, to push the Beermen’s lead back to 15 points, 107-92.

With just three minutes left on the clock, the lead proved insurmountable for TNT to recover from.

Fajardo was efficient from the field for SMB, as he went 5-of-6 from the field and finished with 13 points. He also had eight rebounds and four assists.

CJ Perez was the top scorer for SMB with 23 points, while Manuel added 20 off the bench.

RR Pogoy paced TNT in the loss with 28 points while Jayson Castro chipped in 15.

Mikey Williams, who was injured early on in the game, struggled with only seven points for TNT.

A 2-1 lead in the series is up for grabs in Game Three on Friday, August 26.