TNT needed a key stop in the final seconds to preserve an 89-88 win over San Miguel Beer and take Game 1 of their best-of-seven semifinal series in the PBA Philippine Cup Sunday, Oct. 3 at the Don Honorio Ventura State University in Bacolor, Pampanga.

RR Pogoy and help defender Poy Erram forced Marcio Lassiter to miss a running shot before time ran out as the Tropang Giga heaved a sigh of relief after the Beermen threatened to steal the game despite being down by a high of 12.

Coach Chot Reyes praised his players for that last sequence, given how SMB was able to produce game-winning shots this conference.

“San Miguel can beat you in a number of ways. It can be ballscreen last shot, isolation play, post,” Reyes said. “We just said, we play our straight up defense as best as we can and we'll just see what happens. 

“I just told them, challenge whatever shot it is, let's not foul and it's important to get five guys to rebound because this is the deepest, most talented team in the league.”

Aside from preventing Lassiter in the dying seconds, Pogoy came up huge offensively with a conference-high 23 points, picking up the slack from rookie guard Mikey Williams who was held to seven points on 3-of-12 shooting.

Team captain Jayson Castro came off the bench to put up 16 points, six rebounds and six assists, Erram produced 15 points and five rebounds despite five fouls and Troy Rosario scored 14.

Despite his shooting struggles, Williams was able to contribute eight rebounds and six assists for the Tropang Giga.

Williams’ triple actually sparked a 12-0 run that gave TNT a 69-57 lead late in the third quarter.

San Miguel spent the duration of the fourth knocking on TNT’s door, but Pogoy appeared to have put the semis opener in the bag when he scored a double-pump layup off a Ross foul with 1:34 remaining in the fourth for 89-84.

But Perez scored back-to-back baskets, the last an easy lay-in that made it a one-point game with 36.2 seconds left.

Pogoy couldn’t convert a three after a timeout and San Miguel called its own to set up a winning play that didn’t materialize.

Perez’s 23 points were not enough for the Beermen to sneak out a win.

The scores:

TNT 89 — Pogoy 23, Castro 16,Erram 15, Rosario 14, M.Williams 7, Montalbo 5, Khobuntin 4, Marcelo 3, Reyes 2, Heruela 0.

SAN MIGUEL 88 — Perez 23, Fajardo 13, Santos 12, Lassiter 10, Cabagnot 8, Ross 8, Romeo 8, Tautuaa 6, Gamalinda 0.

Quarters: 19-17, 42-41, 71-60, 89-88.