The two semifinals series in the 2025 PBA Philippine Cup took different paths in Game 3, but both are now headed to a guaranteed fifth game. For the third straight conference, Rain or Shine claimed Game 3 against TNT, this time in dominant fashion with a 107-86 blowout. On the other side, Ginebra regained control of their series with a 100-90 win over San Miguel.
Let's take a closer look at how Rain or Shine dismantled TNT's defense and how Ginebra found success by playing beyond the structure of their triangle offense against the powerhouse San Miguel squad.
Rain or Shine's offensive aggression puts them on the board
It feels like Rain or Shine has made the proper adjustments against TNT's offense. They aided the rebounding battle in Game 2 by winning it 50-47, yet TNT remained victorious. All that was left was to bring the fight. In Game 3, they did just that, attacking downhill from the get-go and setting the tone with relentless energy. This time, it wasn't just about execution -- it was about taking control.
Adrian Nocum set the tone in the first quarter as he generated paint touches that led to him scoring on drives or dishing it off to the ones helped off, which resulted in 10 points and four assists in just 23 minutes. Leonard Santillan followed suit off the bench by blowing past TNT's slower bigs and put up a stat line of 12 points and eight rebounds on 66.7% shooting from 2s. This was crucial as both players continued to struggle from beyond the arc, shootingjust 1-for-8 in this game, but remained effective in a different way in Rain or Shine's offense.
However, the most impactful contribution came from Anton Asistio. While he isn't your typical floor general, but his ability to drain long-range shots created spaced. This led to opening up the lanes and limited help by TNT on post-ups by Rain or Shine's bigs. The sweet shooting guard finished up with an impressive 24 points in just nine attempts on a scintillating 121.5 TS%.
Asistio's shooting gravity made life easier for others, as they played mostly against single coverage, to chip in to Rain or Shine's victory. Both bigs Caelan Tiongson and Keith Datu delivered enough production and scored 16 points and 13 points respectively.
Meanwhile, TNT severely missed RR Pogoy. Kudos to Rain or Shine for being able to defend better while TNT hunted for mismatches. It totally bogged down any offensive rhythm they had in the game and just resorted to hero ball - evidenced by their 14 assists and 15 turnovers.
With doubts of Pogoy potentially out for at least a week, this win could change the complexion of the series.
Ginebra's second half offensive masterclass
Ginebra's offense remained sluggish through the first half, echoing its struggles from Game 2. Outside of Jamie Malonzo's aggressive scoring and Scottie Thompson's trademark hustle, there wasn't much flow to speak of. Still, the team found themselves down by just four points, well within striking distance, before eventually finding holes in San Miguel's defense.
When San Miguel leaned more heavily on June Mar Fajardo in the second half, Ginebra saw an opportunity. With the Beermen's big man hampered by injury, Ginebra ramped up its pace and attacked in transition. RJ Abarrientos seized the moment, using his speed and vision to generate easy buckets -- often finding Malonzo on the break. The result: a game-changing 25-14 third quarter that flipped the script and gave Ginebra a seven-point cushion.
Abarrientos, who finished with eight assists, took over completely in the fourth. He poured in 18 of his 24 points in the final period, exploiting San Miguel's drop coverage with pull-up jumpers and timely reads in the pick-and-roll. When defenders committed to him, he found rollers like Troy Rosario and Japeth Aguilar, the latter bouncing back with 18 points on 53.8% shooting. Thompson also delivered in the moments that mattered, stuffing the stat sheet with 16 points, seven rebounds, and five assists and giving Ginebra a lift early when little else was working.
As for San Miguel, they'll need to reassess how they're involving Fajardo and not just in a clean up role in the offensive glass. Though clearly not 100%, the eight-time MVP still produced 12 points and 14 rebounds on just six field goal attempts. Even limited, his post presence can warp defenses -- something they failed to capitalize on. CJ Perez also struggled, managing just 11 points on a rough 40.9 TS%.
While Don Trollano's efficient 22-point night (78.6 TS%) was a bright spot, San Miguel's chances will hinge on getting more from their top stars. If Fajardo and Perez can't assert themselves, the door remains wide open for Ginebra to tilt the series in their favor