Leo Austria braces for a TNT fightback as San Miguel look to seal Philippine Cup

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.

With a 3–1 lead heading into Game 5, San Miguel will capture yet another PBA championship if the game proceeds as scheduled on Wednesday, July 23, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

However, torrential rains over the past week have caused flooding in several areas of Metro Manila, and a new tropical depression poses an additional threat of postponement.

The Beermen enter Game 5 as favorites, having a full roster of healthy players, while their opponents continue to struggle with a string of injuries. TNT lost Jayson Castro early in the tournament, followed by setbacks to Rey Nambatac, Roger Pogoy, and Brian Heruela. Star center Poy Erram has been playing through a hamstring tear and a sprained ankle, while Simon Enciso sustained a fractured orbital bone.

Despite TNT’s injury woes, San Miguel head coach Leo Austria is expecting a tough battle from Tropang Giga, who are aiming for an elusive Grand Slam of PBA titles.

San Miguel Beer coach Leo Austria and Jericho Cruz after winning Game 4 over TNT. #PBAFinals @INQUIRERSports pic.twitter.com/pVKXdQONHt

— Rommel Fuertes Jr. (@MeloFuertesINQ) July 20, 2025

“This is a championship game. We thought Poy Erram wouldn’t play because of the severity of his sprain, but he did. And I think he played quite a long stretch. Whether they have injuries or not, they keep fighting hard — we all saw that. Until the last eight minutes, we only started pulling away then,” Austria said during the post-game press conference.

Austria drew praise for his tactical decisions, notably deploying CJ Perez and Jericho Cruz as point guards when TNT entered the fourth quarter of Game 4 with a big-man lineup featuring Calvin Oftana, Poy Erram, Glenn Khobuntin, and Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser.

“One thing I truly appreciate about our players: everybody wants to win. They were really focused — you could see the sense of urgency. People say we have a complete team, and that’s true, but there’s still a lot to improve. That’s how management and the coaching staff view things. We can’t settle; we must keep improving and excelling in different areas. That’s how we compete — by learning every day,” he added.

San Miguel continues to prove why they are one of the most dominant and feared teams in the league. They are now on course to capture their 30th PBA title, holding a commanding 3–1 lead in the finals. They will look to seal yet another Philippine Cup championship in Game 5.

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