Losing sucks, but when you take an L due to forces largely beyond your control, it can all the more hang over your head for days. Much has been said already about how the San Miguel Beermen suffered a heartbreaking defeat in Game 1 of the 2025 Honda PBA Philippine Cup Finals and so the focus has shifted to how the Beermen would respond. 

And SMB made sure the outcome would not be in doubt. 

Apart from a two-point lead during the latter part of the first quarter, the TNT Tropang 5G had no chance against a vengeful San Miguel squad that made it a point to punish the Tropang 5G inside. TNT was actually the more efficient team in Game, but it was the Beermen’s relentlessness that tied the series. And it all started with Don Trollano. 

The former Adamson Soaring Falcon was getting to his spots and playing with a level of energy eager to atone for a game that was meant to be SMB’s. Trollano’s team-high 22 points mostly came from cuts, drives, and midrange shots that left the Tropang 5G defense dazed and confused. 

Trollano has always operated best behind-the-scenes, finding holes when defenses break down or overload on San Miguel’s marquee players. He’s not one to waste chances as in two 2025 Philippine Cup Finals games, he has converted on 48.2 percent of his field goal attempts, most of which came during the game’s crucial moments. 

Part of this comes from Trollano’s familiarity with the system of Beermen head coach Leo Austria, who was Trollano’s college coach. SMB has stars in June Mar Fajardo and CJ Perez so it was important to add complementary players who understood when to step up, when to defer, and to strike when the opportunity arose. So while you may be hard-pressed to expect another 22-point performance from Trollano, you can count on him to make winning plays for the rest of the series. 

The San Miguel Beermen could have been 2-0 if outside forces decided to let the players decide the outcome not for some breaks of the game, but they’ll take a tied series over a larger hole to climb out of, especially against a formidable opponent in the TNT Tropang 5G. The Beermen’s response in Game 2, led by Don Trollano, speaks volumes as to how they handle situations others may have folded in. And even if the series is back to square one, SMB now has the momentum and the way forward so as not to feel the despair of losing a game that was once theirs.