San Miguel Beermen’s Jericho Cruz during the PBA Philippine CUp Finals Game 4 against TNT Tropang 5G. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines—San Miguel Beer guard Jericho Cruz was surprised, to say the least, by TNT team manager Jojo Lastimosa’s comments about him after Game 4 of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals.
Following the Beermen’s 105-91 win over the Tropang 5G at Mall of Asia Arena, Lastimosa approached members of the press and aired his dismay over Cruz’s late-game shenanigans.
READ: PBA Finals: San Miguel nears title, fends off TNT in Game 4
According to Lastimosa, Cruz’s actions down the stretch—when the Beermen were already winning—were uncalled for.
TNT team manager Jojo Lastimosa isn’t happy with Jericho Cruz’s shenanigans after Game 4 of the #PBAFinals. @INQUIRERSports pic.twitter.com/Y2nbVAkvrN
— Rommel Fuertes Jr. (@MeloFuertesINQ) July 20, 2025
Cruz, however, said he was just overcome with emotions and not necessarily showboating.
“I was jumping because I was happy. I wasn’t showboating. I wasn’t even looking at him (Lastimosa). I don’t even know about that,” said Cruz.
“I know him, he knows me, we were always together back in NLEX, doing shooting drills so I was surprised to know that he said those.”
READ: PBA Finals: Game 1 loss still lights a fire in Jericho Cruz
Cruz, who finished with a team-high 23 points and three rebounds, caught the crowd’s attention when he was hyping up the audience in the dying seconds of the game.
While Cruz was mere ecstatic with the win that pushed the Beermen closer to notching the Philippine Cup, Lastimosa didn’t take kindly to his overzealousness.
“Dinadaan niya na lang sa yabang lahat. The guy has problems. He has problems and he’s just bringing it on the court,” said Lastimosa. “He’s acting up like a little boy.”
Cruz also cleared his name on the account of being a dirty player, saying he’s just a “physical” swingman who wants to win at the buzzer.
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“I don’t hurt players, I’m just physical and at the end of the day, it’s just basketball. After this, we go home, we respect them and tomorrow, we play basketball again,” he said.
More tensions between TNT and San Miguel Beer may brew come Wednesday for Game 5 of the series at Araneta Coliseum.
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