The TNT Tropang Giga need just one more win to punch their tickets to the 2021 PBA Philippine Cup finals. Can they get the job done this Friday? The San Miguel Beermen are determined to force a Game 7. Do they have enough gas in their tanks to take the series into a winner-take-all Game 7?
Catch this game live on October 15, 3 pm, Manila time.
The San Miguel Beermen (2-3)
Projected Starting Five:
- PG: Chris Ross
- SG: Terrence Romeo
- SF: Marcio Lassiter
- PF: Arwind Santos
- C: Junemar Fajardo
The Beermen simply could not keep up with TNT in Game 5, resulting in a 110-90 loss. Things got out of hand early for San Miguel, as the Beermen were outscored in the first quarter by 15 points and 11 in the second period. San Miguel basically spent the entire game trying to catch the Tropang Giga. However, the Beermen got a big game from Junemar Fajardo, who finished with 23 points and 12 rebounds.
The Tropang Giga’s frontcourt was complete and healthy, but neither Kelly Williams nor Poy Erram had much success stopping the six-time PBA MVP. It’s just that San Miguel’s shooters didn’t click. Terrence Romeo went 3-of-13 from the field, Marcio Lassiter was 2-of-8, while Alex Cabagnot was 1-of-6. These players will look to find their groove early and complement the continued brilliance of San Miguel’s 1-2 bench combo of CJ Perez and Mo Tautuaa. The two combined for 28 points and 13 rebounds in Game 5.
The TNT Tropang Giga (3-2)
Projected Starting Five:
- PG: Brian Heruela
- SG: RR Pogoy
- SF: Mikey Williams
- PF: Troy Rosario
- C: JP Erram
San Miguel’s shooters going cold in Game 5 can’t just be attributed to an off-night. The Tropang Giga’s defense deserves credit for making the Beermen throw bricks in that contest. After all, the Tropang Giga own the best defensive rating in the PBA with 93.2 points allowed per 100 possessions. Speaking of which, limiting San Miguel’s touches was key in Game 5 for TNT. The Beermen only had 74 field-goal attempts on Wednesday; they had 83 in Game 4. With Kelly Williams back, TNT’s frontcourt is now at its full strength.
The Tropang Giga may not completely shut down Fajardo –which is an impossible task to begin with — but at least they have enough bodies to throw at the Beermen’s center. Williams made his mark right away upon his return, scoring 12 points and grabbing three rebounds. Meanwhile, Mikey Williams is heating up. He scored 18 points on 7-of-14 shooting from the field in Game 5. That’s a very good sign for TNT, heading into a potential closeout game.
PREDICTION:
Spread: Kelly Williams gives TNT a big boost with his defense and rebounding, while also still being enough of a threat on offense to keep San Miguel’s defense guessing, especially with the Tropang Giga’s backcourt now in full throttle. This is still going to be a close one. Take SMB to cover (+1.5).
Over/Under: The last three games of this series had been high-scoring blowouts. It’s due to slow down in Game 6. Take the Under (191.5).
