Brondial sparks Beermen to 3-2 PBA finals lead over Tropang 5G

MANILA, Philippines -- As a championship series goes into deep waters, and with defenses clamping up on the stars, teams usually go deep into their rosters for X-factors.

With the depth of both the San Miguel Beermen and the TNT Tropang 5G, there are plenty of sources for that spark.

For Game 5 on Friday, San Miguel found the spark in big man Rodney Brondial.

Brondial, who was averaging 5.5 points per game in the finals, had a field day in the Beermen’s 96-82 Game 5 win over the TNT Tropang 5G.

The bruising big man finished with 17 points and 15 rebounds before going down with cramps to help San Miguel grab a 3-2 lead in the PBA Philippine Cup Finals.

The Beermen trailed by as much as 16 points early in the game, but they rallied in the middle quarters to break the game wide open and blast off to the win.

TNT had a searing start in the game, going up by 16 points in the first quarter, 23-7, after a triple by Kelly Williams.

San Miguel slowly climbed out of the hole, but the Tropang 5G held a seven-point, 48-41 spread with 1:49 remaining in the second quarter.

But from that point on, the Beermen went berserk and unleashed a massive 22-2 run that gave them a 13-point lead after a layup by Mo Tautuaa. 63-50.

An and-one play by TNT'sHenry Galinato snapped the run, but it was just a momentary stop to a San Miguel freight train that took a lead as high as 18, 77-59, in the same frame.

The Tropang 5G, though, tried to get back into it, slicing the lead to just 11, 76-87, after a pair of free throws by Jordan Heading.

But a Brondial triple on the other end, followed by a CJ Perez deuce, kept their opponents at bay, 92-76, with 3:42 to go.

June Mar Fajardo and Don Trollano chipped in 14 markers each for the winning team. The former, who left the game for a huge chunk after an apparent injury, had 11 rebounds in 30 minutes of action, while the latter had seven boards on a 4-of-13 clip from the field. 

Guard Kris Rosales likewise had a game to remember with 12 points and four assists, as Tautuaa and Marcio Lassiter had 11 points each. Game 4 hero Perez produced 10 markers.

Oftana topscored for TNT with 20 points, nine rebounds, two steals and an assist. Jordan Heading followed suit with 13 points, four rebounds and two assists.

The Beermen could clinch the title in Game 6 on Sunday, 7:30 p.m., at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.