By: Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
In a game where everybody thought TNT Katropa would just pull away, San Miguel’s heart prevailed.
After trailing by as much as 16 points until the final frame, SMB displayed a steady and gutsy run to cap a comeback and steal Game 5, 99-94, in the 2019 PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals.
TNT put on a clinic in ball movement, as Terrence Jones and Jason Castro found every TNT shooter after slicing through SMB’s interior all the time.
As the game went by, it seemed like TNT will take over the pivotal game 5 as momentum swung when they piled up their largest lead to 16 in the fourth canto.
Jones and Pogoy went fiery hot in the fourth as they cashed most of the shots they attempted from outside and inside the shaded area.
With things going out of SMB’s hands, the powerhouse veteran team stayed composed and showed heart as they managed to erase TNT’s lead bit by bit.
The massive lead suddenly became three when the fourth-minute mark crossed and SMB fans went crazy, trying to pump their team’s spirits to complete the comeback.
Chris McCullough completed his astonishing game with 22 boards and 35 big points, including an acrobatic dagger layup over Jones with 28 seconds left to play.
SMB got the crucial stops they needed despite the numerous offensive rebounds TNT had in the last two minutes of the game.
Within the familiar territory, SMB coming back in the PBA finals isn’t surprising anymore, even a 1-3 deficit in the series did not stop them to aim for the ultimate prize.
TNT will try to extend the series to 7 games today, 7 in the evening.
