San Miguel’s CJ Perez named PBA Player of the Week for January 14 to 16

In a sport where momentum can shift in the blink of an eye, CJ Perez didn’t just seize it—he owned it.

The San Miguel Beer guard made his intentions clear from the opening tip-off. From the moment his first shots swished through the net, Perez appeared to realize that something extraordinary was unfolding. By the end of the first quarter, the PBA had witnessed a scoring display that not only carried his team but also etched his name into the record books.

On Friday, January 16, Perez turned the opening quarter of Game 6 against Barangay Ginebra at the Araneta Coliseum into a historic highlight reel. The Beermen cruised to a 101-88 victory, securing their spot in the PBA Philippine Cup finals for a much-anticipated rematch against TNT Tropang Giga.

A three-time PBA scoring champion, Perez started his scoring rampage with a jaw-dropping 30 points in the first quarter alone, shooting a perfect 12-of-12 from the field. He finished the night with a career-high 41 points, solidifying his status as the driving force behind San Miguel’s triumph.

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But it wasn’t merely the sheer volume of his scoring that captured attention—it was the way he turned a single quarter into a milestone-laden masterpiece.

HISTORIC 30 FOR THE PREDATOR 👽🔥

CJ Perez set the all-time PBA record for most points scored by any player—local or import—in an opening quarter, powering the San Miguel Beermen against Barangay Ginebra in Game 6 of the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup semifinals!#PBA50 #PBA50LID pic.twitter.com/tdOETJwyds

— One Sports (@OneSportsPHL) January 16, 2026

Perez’s blazing start shattered multiple PBA records, including:

• Most points scored in an opening quarter (local or import) 
• Most points scored in a playoff quarter 
• Most field goals made in a quarter without a miss 

The 30-point quarter also tied him with Bong Alvarez for the second-most points scored in a single quarter by a local player, trailing only Allan Caidic’s legendary 39-point outburst in 1991. The comparison is no accident; Perez’s performance evoked memories of his Terrafirma days, when he scored a career-high 39 points in a single game back in 2019.

For his exceptional showing, Perez was named PBA Press Corps Player of the Week for January 14 to 16, averaging 30.5 points per game on 64 percent shooting from the field. He beat out fellow San Miguel teammate Don Trollano and TNT Tropang Giga’s Jordan Heading to earn unanimous recognition from the scribes covering Asia’s oldest professional basketball league.

“Nung na-shoot ko yung una, pangalawa, pangatlo, pag-apat, parang tinira ko na lang, pumapasok. Doon pumapasok yung kumpiyansa. And nakikita ko naman sila coach sa bench, talagang tiwalang tiwala. Pag tira ko pa lang, nakikita ko ‘yung mukha nila, hindi sila nakasimangot,” Perez said of his phenomenal night.

He also credited his team’s defensive effort for keeping the Ginebra offense in check. “Sobrang grateful lang na pumasok nang maaga yung mga tira namin, at maganda yung depensa namin,” he added.

The veteran guard now shifts his focus to the PBA Philippine Cup finals, where San Miguel will face TNT Tropang Giga. Perez is eyeing his fourth PBA championship and hopes to carry the same intensity and precision from his historic quarter into the finals series. Game 1 is set for Wednesday, January 21, at the Ynares Center in Antipolo, where all eyes will be on Perez to see if he can replicate his record-setting form on the league’s biggest stage.

As the finals approach, one thing is clear: when CJ Perez gets hot, he doesn’t just score points—he writes history.

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