The San Miguel Beermen overcame a slow start and came away with a hard-earned 85-82 win over the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings in the PBA Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup on Easter Sunday, April 5, at the Araneta Coliseum.

Don Trollano’s three-pointer with 8.3 seconds left capped the Beermen’s comeback from 15 points down, as they got the final word after the two squads went back-and-forth in the final two minutes.

Ginebra had gotten off to a fast start and built a 26-12 lead after the opening quarter, only for San Miguel to turn the tables and limit them to 10 points in the second period.

The Beermen went on to seize control in the final frame, with CJ Perez piloting them to a 74-68 advantage.

Justin Brownlee willed the Gin Kings back in the contest, with his layup making it a two-point game, 82-80, with 1:41 left. The celebrated import could have put Ginebra ahead in their ensuing possessions, but he went 2-of-4 from the line for an 82-all deadlock.

Off a timeout, Ginebra defended Perez well and forced him into an off-balance shot. San Miguel retained possession with a little over a second left on the clock, and though June Mar Fajardo’s three-pointer was off, Perez was there for the offensive rebound.

He found Trollano wide open in the corner for the go-ahead triple, and while the Gin Kings had their chances, Brownlee and Thompson’s attempts from beyond the arc were off the mark.

Perez finished with 20 points while import Justin Patton put up a 19-point, 17-rebound double-double for the Beermen. Trollano finished with 12 points, with his game-winner only his fourth field goal of the game in 12 tries.

Fajardo was limited by foul trouble and went just 2-of-13 from the field for six points, though he had 13 rebounds.

Squandered in the loss was a 31-point outing from Brownlee, with RJ Abarrientos adding 16 points and seven dimes.

San Miguel is now 3-2 in the conference, while Ginebra drops to 2-2. (ABS-CBN News)