Manila Times
Upholding Truth. Empowering the Philippines
Tuesday, Jul 01, 2025
The Nation's Story is Told with Honor
San Miguel Beermen Clinch Top Seed with Dominant Victory over NorthPort
The Beermen secured their position for the playoffs with a decisive 126-91 win against NorthPort in the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup.
The San Miguel Beermen concluded the elimination round of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Season 49 Philippine Cup with a commanding 126-91 victory over NorthPort at the Ynares Center in Antipolo on June 15. This win ensured the Beermen finished atop the league standings with an overall record of 8-3, sharing the best record with NLEX and Magnolia but securing the No.1 seed due to a superior quotient.
Following their previous setback against Converge, which hindered their initial attempt at a top-four finish, San Miguel demonstrated dominance from the outset against the Batang Pier.
The Beermen’s performance was underscored by a balanced offensive attack, particularly spearheaded by CJ Perez, who scored 24 points.
Jericho Cruz and Don Trollano contributed significantly with 17 points each.
June Mar Fajardo delivered a noteworthy double-double performance, accumulating 10 points and 11 rebounds, while teammates Mo Tautuaa and Marcio Lassiter added 14 and 11 points, respectively.
The team's size advantage was evident, as Fajardo and Tautuaa effectively controlled the painted area, facilitating scoring opportunities for Perez, Trollano, and Cruz from beyond the arc.
With their victory, San Miguel earned the twice-to-beat advantage in the playoffs and is poised to face the eighth-seed Meralco, marking a potential chance for redemption against the same team that bested them in last season's all-Filipino finals.
In contrast, NorthPort concluded the season with a record of 2-9, placing them 10th in the standings.
Despite the team's struggles, Joshua Munzon emerged as a standout player for NorthPort, scoring 19 points in the game.
Following their previous setback against Converge, which hindered their initial attempt at a top-four finish, San Miguel demonstrated dominance from the outset against the Batang Pier.
The Beermen’s performance was underscored by a balanced offensive attack, particularly spearheaded by CJ Perez, who scored 24 points.
Jericho Cruz and Don Trollano contributed significantly with 17 points each.
June Mar Fajardo delivered a noteworthy double-double performance, accumulating 10 points and 11 rebounds, while teammates Mo Tautuaa and Marcio Lassiter added 14 and 11 points, respectively.
The team's size advantage was evident, as Fajardo and Tautuaa effectively controlled the painted area, facilitating scoring opportunities for Perez, Trollano, and Cruz from beyond the arc.
With their victory, San Miguel earned the twice-to-beat advantage in the playoffs and is poised to face the eighth-seed Meralco, marking a potential chance for redemption against the same team that bested them in last season's all-Filipino finals.
In contrast, NorthPort concluded the season with a record of 2-9, placing them 10th in the standings.
Despite the team's struggles, Joshua Munzon emerged as a standout player for NorthPort, scoring 19 points in the game.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
