San Miguel moves one step closer to the PBA title after taking a 3-1 lead over TNT

The San Miguel Beermen moved within one win of clinching the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup after holding off TNT Tropang Giga’s comeback to secure a 105–91 victory in Game 4 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena on Sunday, July 20.

Jericho Cruz led the way for San Miguel with 23 points, 15 of which came in the fourth quarter, and received solid support from CJ Perez, who added 16 points. Record-setting Best Player of the Conference, June Mar Fajardo, was once again his consistent self, finishing with 15 points, 16 rebounds, three steals, and one block.

“The biggest factor was the first game. It fueled our grit. You could see it in the players—the desire to win was there. We had a bad start, but the bench gave us a lot of energy. From there, our energy and intensity picked up. They had a lot of combinations, but we reminded our players what to do. If you noticed, this was the first time we really hit from the three-point area, and that was the key,” said San Miguel head coach Leo Austria during the post-game press conference.

Jericho Cruz is the ArenaPlus BPG. #PBAAngatAngLaban pic.twitter.com/Kpv1Do3YpF

— PBA (@pbaconnect) July 20, 2025

Cruz, for his part, revealed that the controversial Game 1 loss had served as added motivation for the Beermen.

“It was a shame we lost the first game—we really thought we had a chance to win. But that’s done, and we’ve moved on. Boss Alfrancis Chua also told me to just play my game and ignore what others are saying,” Cruz shared.

For TNT, Jordan Heading continued to battle, finishing with 23 points, but the Tropang Giga couldn’t maintain their form in the final quarter. They now face an uphill battle in their quest for a Grand Slam of PBA titles.

San Miguel continues to show why they are one of the most dominant and feared teams in the league. The Beermen now lead the finals series 3–1 and will look to capture yet another Philippine Cup title in Game 5, set for Wednesday, July 23, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

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