It will be No. 1 vs. No. 2 after all in the 2022 PBA Philippine Cup finals after the top-seeded San Miguel Beermen blasted the Meralco Bolts, 100-89, Wednesday in Game 7 of their semifinal series to arrange a championship showdown with second seed TNT Tropang Giga.
That the mighty Beermen were taken to seven games by this scrappy Bolts team came as a surprise to some, but in the end with everything on the line, they came through with plenty to spare.
Here are three quick thoughts and the upcoming finals:
Defense comes through for the Beermen
The Beermen are not known for their defense.
They ranked just 9th this conference, giving up 94.8 points per game. But in this game, they set the tone from the opening tip, forcing the Bolts to miss their first ten shots en route to an early 20-6 lead.
Only a 35-point fourth quarter from the Bolts made their final point total more respectable. But overall they shot just 40.8% from the field, including a dismal 28.6% from beyond the arc.
Aaron Black, the hero of Meralco's Game 6 comeback win, was held to just 13 points and took just nine shots. Chris Banchero and Allein Maliksi combined to shoot just 5-of-16.
"It was a grueling series, and I expected this after watching their series against Ginebra," said SMB coach Leo Austria. "They know how to defend against June Mar (Fajardo). But we still gave the ball to June Mar. We did a good job diverting the ball to their other players."
A repeat of Meralco's Game 6 comeback appeared to be in the works after the Bolts scored ten unanswered points in the fourth period to cut the lead to 85-75. But this time, the Beermen didn't wilt.
"One of the Bolts' strengths is getting offensive rebounds," Austria noted. "Just like our last game, they had 28 offensive rebounds. It's hard to win that way."
This time, with Fajardo being more assertive off the boards, the Beermen won the rebounding battle, 46-41, while limiting the Bolts to just nine second-chance points. Fajardo finished the with a series-high 29 points to go along with 14 rebounds.
"Credit to Meralco, they had a good game plan," Fajardo said. "But the game plan of Pops (Austria) was better. It was a team effort."
First finals for the 'new' Beermen
San Miguel's last finals appearance came in the 2019 Commissioner's Cup, when they beat the Tropang Giga in six games.
But only five players -- Fajardo, Von Pessumal, Paul Zamar, Marcio Lassiter and Chris Ross -- are left from that team. Gone are longtime veterans Arwind Santos, Alex Cabagnot, Ronald Tubid and Christian Standhardinger.
"We haven't reached the finals in a long time," Fajardo noted. "How long has it been? Three years?"
"We've missed the finals of the last four conferences," Austria added.
Three years without a finals appearance might as well be a lifetime if you're San Miguel, considering their dominant run in the 2010s. That drought led management to overhaul their roster, which is now composed mostly of players who have never won it all.
"Only a few players are left from the team that won eight championships," Austria noted. "This is the time to develop the character of the other players. They don't know yet how to win a championship."
These other players include Jericho Cruz, Rodney Brondial, Vic Manuel, Robbie Herndon, Simon Enciso and Mo Tautuaa. Of that bunch, only Cruz (with Rain or Shine Elasto Painters) and Brondial (with Magnolia Hotshots) have won a championship.
"It's an opportunity for them," Austria said. "That's why they're on our team, because we believe in them."
The top seeds vs. the defending champions
Despite being two of the most successful teams over the past two decades, the San Miguel and TNT franchises have met just five times in the finals over the last 17 seasons -- with the Beermen enjoying a 4-1 edge.
The Tropang Giga's lone finals win came in 2011 and is also the only other time the two teams have met in a Philippine Cup finals. Chot Reyes was also TNT's coach then, while Ato Agustin -- now an SMB assistant -- called the shots for the Beermen.
The Tropang Giga are the defending champions, but the Beermen once owned this conference, winning five straight starting in 2015. In their lone elimination round meeting on July 7, the Beermen came out on top, 115-99, with Cruz dropping a career-high 30 points.
Austria isn't too concerned yet with the finals, which begin on Sunday.
He said he only paid passing attention to the TNT-Magnolia series and will catch up on his film-watching over the next three days, revealing: "We'll watch film first, try to figure it out. Find out what their strengths and weaknesses are.
"We just need to help each other and play as a team," said Fajardo, one of three Beermen gunning for a 9th title.
"We just need to follow our game plan. In practice we follow it. Shoutout to my teammates. Everyone stepped up in this game. In the finals, it won't be easy. But we know we can do it."
Austria is also aiming for his ninth title as a coach, which would move him into a tie for fourth with Reyes and Jong Uichico. Even though he's among the league's most successful tacticians, he's still driven to win more.
"No one remembers who wins second place. You need a championship to have a legacy," he said.