San Miguel leaned on Mo Tautuaa in the crucial stretch to turn back Terrafirma in the PBA Season 48 Philippine Cup on Wednesday, April 10.
In what turned out to be a shootout between Mo Tautuaa and Isaac Go, the one in red jersey prevailed.
Tautuaa went off in the fourth period as San Miguel hacked out a 113-110 win over Terrafirma to remain the unbeaten leader in the PBA Season 48 Philippine Cup at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium on Wednesday, April 10.
Tautuaa dropped 17 of his season-high 24 points in the final quarter, including the go-ahead triple with 1:30 remaining to give the Beermen the lead for good, 111-107.
"Mo is a great talent. And Mo knows that. Mo will be Mo just like how he played now," said SMB coach Jorge Gallent.
Go sizzled with his own career-high night, posting 21 points on seven triples. But he bungled a potential game-tying trey as time expired.
San Miguel thus preserved a spotless 5-0 record at the summit.
The Dyip, coming off a huge confidence-boosting win over Ginebra the last time out, fell to 4-4 to remain at fourth.
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The Beermen turned the match into a nip-and-tuck battle in the second half after trailing by as many as 12 points earlier.
San Miguel and Terrafirma exchanged leads multiple times in the third and fourth frames, with Tautuaa and Go leading the show for their respective sides.
A third triple by Go in the final period and sixth overall gave the Dyip a ray of hope, 111-110, with 42.3 to go.
But Tautuaa would completely shut the door on Terrafirma with a reverse layup in the ensuing possession and a big defensive play against Juami Tiongson.
Go's hot hands could not lift the Dyip in the end as he went cold with his last attempt from the three-point area.
Before Tautuaa's heroics, CJ Perez took care of business, pouring 11 of his game-high 25 points early in the fourth that kept the Beermen afloat in that stretch.
June Mar Fajardo had a monster 20-point, 17-rebound and six-assist performance. He also tallied a steal and a block.
While Go shone with his timely baskets, it was Tionsgon who topscored for Terrafirma with 24.
Javi Gomez de Liaño added 21 points while Stephen Holt was three rebounds shy of a triple-double as he piled up 18 markers, 10 assists and seven boards.
The Scores:
SAN MIGUEL 113 – Perez 25, Tautua'a 24, Fajardo 20, Romeo 16, Cruz 9, Manuel 7, Lassiter 6, Trollano 5, Ross 1, Enciso 0, Teng 0.
TERRAFIRMA 110 – Tiongson 24, Go 21, Gomez de Liano 21, Holt 18, Carino 9, Cahilig 6, Sangalang 5, Ramos 4, Alolino 2, Olivario 0, Calvo 0.
Quarterscores: 24-26,, 45-54, 78-75, 113-110.