Game 6 of the 2025 PBA Philippine Cup Finals started out as a close contest but quickly turned into a coronation.

After entering halftime with a five-point lead, 52-47, the San Miguel Beermen uncorked a furious third quarter rally that blew the game against the TNT Tropang Giga wide open. 

Jericho Cruz, who was adjudged the Finals MVP, scored seven consecutive points–a three-pointer then a four-point play–to give San Miguel an 11-point lead, 67-56, early on in the third period. It was the first double digit lead of the evening for the Beermen, one that they would not relinquish for the rest of the evening.

San Miguel’s onslaught continued, with Cruz, June Mar Fajardo, Chris Ross, and Mo Tautuaa all contributing baskets as they extended their lead throughout the third quarter. Their lead hit 20, 80-60, at the 3:57 mark of the third period and the final quarter turned into a mere formality. The Beermen walked away with a 107-96 win, taking the series in six games after losing the Finals opener in controversial style. 

San Miguel reclaimed the Philippine Cup title, winning it for the 10th time in franchise history, after losing to the Meralco Bolts last season. They also denied the Tropang Giga, winners of the last two import-laden conferences, their much-coveted grand slam, leaving the count of teams who have achieved this feat unchanged at five.

For returning Beermen head coach Leo Austria, this also marked his 10th career PBA championship and reinforced his status as one of the top coaches in the country today.

Meanwhile, Cruz’s Finals MVP award is the highlight of his 10-year PBA career to date. The 34-year-old guard, who was the ninth overall pick of the league’s 2014 draft, made headlines earlier in the series when TNT team manager Jojo Lastimosa called him out.

Cruz finished the game with 13 points, two three-pointers, four rebounds, six assists, and one steal. The spark that he provided during the third quarter run of the Beermen was invaluable and wound up becoming the pivotal moment of the evening.

Fajardo was a strong presence inside as usual, contributing 24 points on 11-of-12 field goals, 12 rebounds, and three assists. CJ Perez scored 24 points as well for San Miguel, along with three rebounds, six assists, and a steal.

The Beermen, who remain the winningest franchise in league history by far, will now get to enter the PBA’s historic 50th season as its defending champions. This team has been associated with winning for five decades now and with this recent win, it seems like nothing about this is going to change in the near future.