CJ Perez anchored a first-quarter onslaught while Don Trollano took care of the endgame as defending champion San Miguel Beer finished off Barangay Ginebra, 101-88, in Game 6 of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Season 50 Philippine Cup semifinals to book the last championship seat on Friday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The Beermen won back-to-back games and closed the series, 4-2, to forge a best-of-seven title series rematch against TNT.

Game 1 of the finals is on Wednesday at the Ynares Center-Antipolo.

Perez put on a show in the opening period after scoring 30 of the team’s 39 points in the quarter on a perfect 12-of-12 field goal shooting for the Beermen to establish control early.

The veteran guard finished with a career-high 41 points on 17-of-23 field goal shooting and added three assists and a rebound in an efficient over 27 minutes of action.

“After I made my first two shots followed by the third and then the fourth I thought I’ll just take my shot. It all went it and from there my confidence just soared,” said Perez, who recorded the all-time most points scored by any player (local or import) in an opening quarter and most markers made in any period in the playoffs.

Perez’s field goal clip in the first quarter is the highest in the league, erasing the 9-of-9 by Cyrus Baguio enroute to a 28-point output for Alaska in a 108-98 win over Coca Cola in the 2010 Fiesta Conference. His 30-point quarter tied the second-most output in a quarter made by Bong Alvarez behind the 37 points of Allan Caidic in a 79-marker outing for Presto back on 21 November 1991.

Perez’s 12-for-12 was the first perfect shooting game since Ali Peek finished with the same clip for Coca Cola back on 10 March 2006.

Trollano finished what Perez started by pouring 11 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter, hitting crucial baskets when the Kings closed in within striking distance.

A strong first half allowed San Miguel to build a significant gap that stretched by as many as 19 points in the third quarter after Perez nailed a three-pointer for a 68-49 advantage with 10:55 remaining.

The Kings refused to fold and pushed back in the second half. Ginebra slashed its deficit down to four points, 83-79, with 9:19 left from a Norbert Torres corner trey.

San Miguel answered with an 11-0 run with six coming from Trollano to regain control with less than four minutes left.

Scottie Thompson had 24 points and nine rebounds, Torres scored 13 while RJ Abarrientos and Japeth Aguilar got 12 and 10 markers, respectively, for the Kings, who failed to drag the series to a second straight Game 7.

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