SMB boosts PBA top-seed hopes in rout of Terrafirma
By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
The San Miguel Beermen’s bid for the top seed in the PBA playoffs is still alive following a lopsided beatdown of the Terrafirma Dyip, 135-105, in the ongoing Governors’ Cup on Oct. 14, 2026, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
After an embarrassing loss to the TNT Tropang 5G, the Beermen vented their ire on Terrafirma, banking on a 41-point eruption in the third quarter to close the show on a high note.
It was still a nip-and-tuck affair in the first quarter after Terrafirma kept up with San Miguel’s high-octane scoring, pulling within a point, 28-27, and entering the ensuing frame on a high.
However, San Miguel import George King put on an offensive masterclass in the second quarter, dropping 14 points in the frame to balloon the Beermen’s lead to 17 points at the half, 64-47.
King caught fire and was unstoppable from the field, firing contested step-back 3-pointers at will while attacking Terrafirma’s interior, which put its frontcourt rotation in foul trouble as early as the first half.
Terrafirma kicked off the third quarter red-hot, thanks to Justin Strings’ offensive resurgence after an inconsistent first-half performance.
However, San Miguel dropped the hammer midway through the period as the trio of King, June Mar Fajardo, and CJ Perez joined forces to stage a demoralizing 25-11 run.
King picked up where he left off as he torched Terrafirma with three huge triples, while the 1-2 punch of Fajardo and Perez dominated the paint with their signature pick-and-roll plays.
Up by 25 points entering the final canto, San Miguel never looked back and forced Terrafirma head coach Ronald Tubid to empty his bench with 5:45 remaining in regulation.
San Miguel stretched its biggest lead of the game to 43 points after a completed three-point play from backup big man JM Calma.
Leading the way for San Miguel’s bounce-back win was King, who dropped a game-high 44 points alongside five rebounds and five assists.
Fajardo contributed a monster double-double of 25 points and 12 rebounds, while Perez chipped in 22 points, five boards, and three dimes.
The Beermen will look to sustain their momentum and get the better of the NLEX Road Warriors on Oct. 21, while Terrafirma aims to redeem itself against the Titan Ultra Giant Risers on Oct. 17.
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