CJ Perez urges San Miguel to raise the bar as TNT’s early blitz levels finals

San Miguel Beer has been here before — bruised, humbled, but far from broken.

After watching their 2–1 Finals lead dissolve in a stunning 110–87 blowout at the hands of TNT Tropang 5G, CJ Perez made it clear that the Beermen’s biggest challenge heading into Game 5 isn’t strategy, but matching fire with fire.

TNT’s response to its Game 3 heartbreak was immediate and overwhelming. From the opening tip, the Tropang 5G played as if the series depended on every possession, torching San Miguel’s defense with a scorching 67-percent shooting clip in the first quarter and ballooning the margin to as many as 35 points.

By the time the Beermen tried to claw back, the damage was irreversible.

“Sobrang laki na (ng hahabulin), so mahirap na talaga, lalo na Talk ‘N Text yung kalaban, so move on kami sa next game. Hopefully makuha namin yung panalo, kasi mahirap talaga kalaban TNT lalo na sa mga ganitong series,” Perez said, choosing reflection over frustration.

For Perez, the lesson from Game 4 was blunt: TNT didn’t reinvent itself — it simply played harder, earlier.

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CJ Perez goes on clutch mode and delivers an explosive four-pointer, followed by a solid triple to reclaim the lead for the San Miguel Beermen against the TNT Tropang 5G in Game 3 of the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup Finals!#PBA50 #PBA50LID pic.twitter.com/zOIXXJMaQV

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“Actually, wala naman silang bagong ginawa eh,” Perez said. “Talagang yung physicality nandun pa rin, yung energy nila, yun lang naman talaga. Wala naman silang masyadong binago sa ginagawa nila.”

“It’s just us na hindi kami naka-adjust,” he added. “Hindi namin nabigay yung effort namin ng maaga.”

That lack of urgency showed even from San Miguel’s emotional leader. Coming off his Game 3 heroics — where he flipped the contest with seven clutch points in two possessions — Perez tried to set the tone early in Game 4, scoring six points in the opening quarter.

But as TNT’s waves kept coming, Perez faded, finishing with just 11 points on 4-of-15 shooting and four turnovers in nearly 34 minutes — a quiet night by his standards in a game that demanded defiance.

Now, with the Finals reset into a best-of-three and Game 5 shifting to the Ynares Center in Antipolo, Perez knows the margins will only shrink.

“Palapit ng palapit, syempre magiging mas intense pa yan. It’s up to us kung paano kami magre-respond sa every adjustment, sa physicality na ibibigay ng TNT,” he said.

For San Miguel, the question is no longer about experience or pedigree — those are givens. The real test is whether the Beermen can match TNT’s urgency from the opening possession, not after the deficit has already grown. 

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