By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

NOW UP 3-2 in their best-of-seven Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup final series, the San Miguel Beermen go for the jugular and close out the TNT KaTropa in Game Six today at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Seized control of the series with a gutsy 99-94 come-from-behind win in Game Five on Wednesday, the Beermen now channel their focus on going for the clincher that would merit for them a second league title this season and move a step closer to a rare grand slam.

Import Chris McCullough pulled through for San Miguel in the end last time around, draining key baskets and holding his own on defense as they made a late charge and pulled the rug from under a stunned TNT squad.

Down by as much as 16 points, 85-69, with 10 minutes to go in the final frame, the Beermen outscored the KaTropa, 30-9, the rest of the way to hack out the win.

The game was tight inside the last two minutes after Mr. McCullough made two free throws with 1:46 left to narrow TNT’s lead, 94-93.

TNT had several chances to add on to its lead after but could not capitalize on them.

San Miguel got the ball back and called time out with 33 ticks left.

Off the cease-fire, the Beermen went to Mr. McCullough who scored on a layup with 26 seconds remaining to hand the lead to his team, 95-94.

TNT called timeout and set up a play for import Terrence Jones.

But the TNT import missed his layup, forcing the KaTropa to foul Mr. McCullough with 13 seconds left.

The San Miguel import scored a deuce anew from the charity stripe to make it a three-point lead, 97-94, in their favor.

TNT tried to get back in the game but the three-point attempt of Troy Rosario failed to hit the mark.

Two made free throws by Chris Ross after put the game away for the Beermen.

Mr. McCullough had 35 points and 22 rebounds for San Miguel with Terrence Romeo adding 22 points.

June Mar Fajardo finished with 16 points and 11 boards.

For TNT it was Mr. Jones who led with 35 points, 17 rebounds and eight assists.

Jayson Castro and Mr. Rosario followed with 18 and 16 points, respectively.

Now in a position to close things out, the Beermen are all in to getting the title in today’s game and not give the KaTropa anymore chance.

“We still have one more game to get. We’ll come ready to play, mentally locked in, and get it. We don’t want this to go to a Game Seven,” said a pumped-up McCullough, who played all 48 minutes in Game Five, postgame.

He was seconded by coach Leo Austria who said that while it is not going to be easy as they expect TNT to come back with dogged determination to stay alive, still if they would find themselves in a strong position to finish things in Game Six they would go for it.

Over at TNT, coach Bong Ravena lamented anew his team’s inability to put the finishing touches on the game and win.

“We let another one slip away. We know San Miguel is no ordinary opponent. They have been in this position so many times and know what to do while we are new to this. But still it should not stop us. We have to do a better job next time and learn from this game. We are not out of it. They just have the upper hand,” Mr. Ravena said.

San Miguel is looking for its 27th league title and angling to put itself to win another PBA grand slam, something it was in a position doing but failed to complete in 2017. It won a grand slam 30 years ago in 1989.

TNT, for its part, is out to get its eighth PBA title but first since 2015 (Commissioner’s Cup).

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR