Two of the most electrifying teams in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) met in the Finals of the All-Filipino Cup. In game 7 of the finals between the powerhouse team of San Miguel Beermen and the exciting TNT Tropang Giga, the Beermen put a stop to TNT’s championship dreams, 119-97.
The defending champions, an undermanned TNT failed to capture the 2022 Philippine Cup championship against Junemar Fajardo, C.J. Perez, and the whole San Miguel Ginebra Beermen. Fajardo put up 19 points and 18 rebounds while C.J. Perez had a stellar performance, putting up 25 huge points. Chris Ross also called “night night” by shooting four (4) three-pointers and Marcio Lassiter was also a man on a mission with 15 points.
Despite the loss, the 37-year-old Jayson Castro had a night to remember with 32 points, 8 assists, and 10 rebounds. Helping him is the rising star Mikey Williams who had 22 points and shot three shots from behind the arc.
The first three quarters looked like both squads were going back and forth against each other, and then the fourth quarter began. After a 17-1 run, it became a nightmare for Tropang Giga. Top that with their captain Jayson Castro being sidelined due to an injury and head coach Chot Reyes out of the picture, TNT’s defeat was inevitable. With this win, the San Miguel Ginebra franchise takes home its 28th championship since they were founded. They are once again champions and are top of the food chain. A dominant force in the regular season, the Beermen reach the pinnacle of PBA again. Furthermore, this is C.J. Perez’s first championship. In addition to that, the Beermen’s head coach, Leo Austria ties Baby Dalupan and Chot Reyes in most Philippine Cup championships.
Not only are the San Miguel Ginebra Beermen the winningest franchise in PBA, but the team’s centerpiece, and the Cebuano big man, Junemar Fajardo also brings home his fourth PBA Finals MVP. The Kraken, a 32-year-old center also bags his 10th PBA Championship. It’s been three years since he and his team last held the trophy.
With the end of this PBA Philippine Cup, there are already numerous notable players that will be available for the Gilas Pilipinas roster.
Two Beermen, Junemar Fajardo and C.J. Perez, are now finally available to join the Gilas Pilipinas. That means the current Gilas Pool may have an abrupt change in the future for the next World Cup qualifiers. They will be joining Jordan Clarkson, Kai Sotto, and Dwight Ramos, among others.
Also, the former “Best Point Guard in Asia”, Jayson Castro, is being petitioned to join the team despite him already at the back end of his career. Due to the team’s underachievement in the past qualifiers, fans are calling out to have a change in the roster and the system. Which means, a new lineup and a new head coach. However, the team is still optimistic that they are still one of the best teams in Asia. Now that they have reinforcements, it’s going to be an exciting journey for Gilas Pilipinas moving forward.
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Source: spin.ph, team pilipinas, PBA
