Leo Austria moving on from San Miguel’s controversial Game 1 loss to focus on the pivotal Game 2

The TNT Tropang Giga held on after squandering a 24-point lead and benefited from a favorable—but contentious—officiating decision to defeat the San Miguel Beermen, 99–96, in Game 1 of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup Finals at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Sunday, July 13. 

However, the game’s biggest talking point came with 56 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, when San Miguel’s Mo Tautuaa had a potential game-tying dunk waved off. Officials ruled it offensive interference, stating that Tautuaa pulled the rim down before the ball went in. The controversial call proved pivotal, as Calvin Oftana later sank two free throws to seal a nervy win for TNT. 

The overturned call spoiled what could have been a stunning comeback for San Miguel, who outscored TNT 30–14 in the fourth quarter. The Beermen, trailing 74–92 entering the final period, nearly pulled off a dramatic turnaround behind strong performances from June Mar Fajardo, CJ Perez, and Don Trollano. 

San Miguel head coach Leo Austria talks to members of the media following the Beermen’s controversial 99-96 defeat. @StarSportsHub @PhilstarNews pic.twitter.com/hdmwsoC5Sr

— Ralph Edwin Villanueva (@_ralphedwin) July 13, 2025

While the entire San Miguel outfit including the management was irate at the official decision after the game, one person who looked calm and collected after the final whistle was their head coach Leo Austria. Austria refused to look back at the controversial Tautuaa dunk incident, instead believing that one incident took away the praise from all the hard work of players on the court, who almost pulled an incredible comeback.

“We had a bad start, we were able to get a run and take the lead but all of a sudden, this incident happened. This is beyond our control. The players’ efforts were wasted,” Austria said in a media interaction.

The 67-year-old is not harping on the incident, instead preferring to concentrate on Game 2, which is pivotal for San Miguel, as they have an opportunity to level the best-of-seven finals series.

“We realized that, maybe, after our semifinals series with Barangay Ginebra San Miguel that went seven games, a lot of our players were tired and relaxed because of that win. But we know that in order for us to compete with TNT, we have to give our A game,” he added.

The ongoing Philippine Cup tournament holds a lot of weight for both teams as TNT is aiming to become only the sixth PBA team to complete the elusive Grand Slam of titles, while San Miguel are looking to win their first Philippine Cup title since 2022 and add to their record 10 championship wins.

Game 2 of the Finals is scheduled for Wednesday, July 16, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum and promises to be another thrilling encounter.”

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