Lassiter, Perez rain clutch threes, hand Magnolia 6th close loss of conference
MANILA, Philippines – For the sixth time in the 2025 PBA Commissioner’s Cup, Magnolia found itself at the losing end of a thriller as San Miguel eked out a late 85-78 escape at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City to arrest a two-game slide.
Prevailing in the rematch of last year’s finals, the Beermen evened out at a 4-4 record, separating itself from a bottom-rung standings logjam, while the Hotshots slid to 11th with a 3-6 slate — all their losses coming within two possessions or less.
CJ Perez churned out a masterful stat line in the much-needed win with 23 points, 10 assists, 6 rebounds, 4 steals, and 1 block, capping off by a booming dagger triple with 23.5 seconds left, 83-78, to finish the job his teammate Marcio Lassiter started in the game’s waning moments.
Lassiter, the PBA’s all-time leader in three-pointers made, set the tone in the clutch with back-to-back triples: the first in go-ahead fashion at the 1:51 mark of the fourth, 77-76, before a downtown encore at the 51.9-second mark, 80-76.
In less than two minutes of game time, San Miguel quickly undid Magnolia’s earnest comeback effort from 13 points down in the second quarter, 42-29, turning the endgame to a display of simple, fearless offense from its top stars.
Import Jabari Narcis (18 points, 23 rebounds) and eight-time league MVP June Mar Fajardo (13 points, 14 rebounds) did the yeoman’s jobs for the Beermen with a pair of huge double-double outings.
Gunners Juami Tiongson and Jericho Cruz scored 13 and 10, respectively, in the win, while Lassiter supplied 8 crucial points.
Veteran reinforcement Ricardo Ratliffe paced another heartbreaking defeat with a 24-point, 15-rebound double-double in 45 minutes, while Mark Barroca backstopped as the only other double-digit scorer with 13 to go with 6 assists and 4 rebounds.
The Scores
San Miguel 85 – Perez 23, Narcis 18, Tiongson 13, Fajardo 13, Cruz 10, Lassiter 8, Ross 0, Brondial 0, Trollano 0, Cahilig 0.
Magnolia 78 – Ratliffe 24, Barroca 13, Lucero 9, Lasimosa 9, Sangalang 6, Dela Rosa 4, Abueva 4, Alfaro 4, Ahanmisi 3, Balanza 2, Dionisio 0, Laput 0.
Quarters: 20-17, 40-29, 60-60, 85-78.
– Rappler.com