Refocused after argument with Leo Austria, CJ Perez lifts San Miguel to PBA finals lead

2026-01-26 - 09:19

MANILA, Philippines – San Miguel guard CJ Perez and head coach Leo Austria may have their misunderstandings, but at the end of the day, they are united by their desire to win. Perez turned into a hero after an argument with Austria as he propelled the Beermen to a thrilling 95-89 win over TNT in Game 3 of the PBA Philippine Cup finals at the Mall of Asia Arena on Sunday, January 25. Limited to just 3 points through the first three periods, Perez scattered 17 of his team-high 20 points in the fourth quarter, including 7 big points inside the final minute, as the Beermen grabbed a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. “We had a bit of altercation during the first half. But I have to respect everybody because I feel that he just wants to win. At the same time, I want to let him know that I’m the coach of the team and they should respect me also. I apologized, he apologized,” said Austria in a mix of Filipino and English. “Everything turned out well. His focus to win was there because he wants to prove himself.” Perez hit the biggest shots at a time when the Tropang 5G were on the verge of victory as they led 89-86 with just under a minute remaining. He hit a gutsy stepback four-pointer over TNT big man Henry Galinato to regain the upper hand for San Miguel, then sank a three-pointer in the ensuing possession to push their lead to 93-89, ending the period with a perfect 6-of-6 clip from the field. “Because of that incident, he refocused. We all witnessed that he refused to lose. And that is the kind of player we want to have, especially in this kind of championship,” said Austria. For Perez, it is “all love” between him and Austria. “Coach Leo and I have been together for a long time. We argue sometimes. We just respect each other. I respect him as a coach. He has won a lot of championships so I respect him. I just want to win,” said Perez. June Mar Fajardo also starred for San Miguel with a huge double-double of 16 points and 27 rebounds with 3 blocks and 3 assists, while Don Trollano chimed in 19 points. Calvin Oftana produced a game-high 25 points with 5 rebounds in the loss that marked the second straight for TNT after it won the series opener. – Rappler.com