Beermen hand FiberXers first loss, take Group A lead

San Miguel stayed unbeaten in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Season 50 Governors’ Cup after handing Converge its first defeat of the conference, 128-122, on Wednesday night at the Ynares Center.

The Beermen improved to 3-0 in Group A and moved to the top of the standings after ending the FiberXers’ perfect start. Converge, which entered the game tied with NLEX at 3-0, dropped to 3-1.

San Miguel broke the game open in the third quarter, erupting for 41 points to turn a close battle into a 102-91 advantage heading into the final period. Converge mounted a late push but failed to complete the comeback as the defending Philippine Cup champions held on.

George King once again led the Beermen’s charge, posting 41 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, three steals, and one block. CJ Perez provided strong support with 31 points on an efficient 12-of-17 shooting, highlighted by a contested banked four-pointer at the third-quarter buzzer that extended San Miguel’s lead to 12.

San Miguel also received key contributions from the rest of the lineup. Marcio Lassiter finished with 18 points, including 12 in the first half, while Don Trollano added 11 points. June Mar Fajardo chipped in 10 points and nine rebounds as the Beermen recorded 25 assists.

"We're trying to preach sa kultura namin, gusto namin 'yung extra passes," said acting head coach Peter Martin, crediting the team’s ball movement for its offensive execution.

Martin is now preparing San Miguel for a crucial matchup against unbeaten NLEX on Sunday at the SMART Araneta Coliseum, with the winner taking control of Group A.

"Hindi lang si Coach Jimmy as a coach, alam nating fired up ang NLEX kaya 3-0 sila," Martin said, referring to Road Warriors head coach Jimmy Alapag, a former San Miguel assistant. "The coaches will talk about it, see what we can do, see their strengths, their weaknesses."

"Every game for San Miguel is a really tough game, especially without Coach Leo," he added, with head coach Leo Austria continuing his recovery from a health issue.

Justin Arana paced Converge with 29 points, five rebounds, and four assists, while Justine Baltazar recorded a double-double of 16 points and 12 rebounds.

Import Jalen Hudson struggled from the field, scoring 15 points on 16 attempts while adding six rebounds and six assists. Alex Stockton contributed 14 points and seven assists, Juan Gomez de Liaño and Mikey Williams scored 12 points each, while Calvin Abueva finished with 10 points, six rebounds, and seven assists.

Converge will try to bounce back against TNT on Tuesday at the SMART Araneta Coliseum, while San Miguel battles NLEX for solo possession of the Group A lead.