PBA Game 4 Final Score Reveals Shocking Outcome in Championship Series

I still can't quite believe what I witnessed in last night's PBA championship Game 4. As someone who's followed this league for over a decade, I thought I'd seen everything, but this outcome genuinely shocked me. The final score tells only part of the story - what unfolded on that court was nothing short of breathtaking, with individual performances that will be talked about for years to come.

Jericho Cruz absolutely exploded with 20 points, showing the kind of offensive firepower that makes him such a dangerous player when he gets hot. I've always felt Cruz was underrated in this league, and last night he proved exactly why he deserves more recognition. What impressed me most wasn't just his scoring - it was his timing. Every time the opposing team started building momentum, there was Cruz with another clutch basket to keep his team in control. Meanwhile, Marcio Lassiter delivered that classic veteran performance we've come to expect from him - 15 points and five rebounds that felt much more significant than the numbers suggest. His experience in big games really showed through, especially during those critical third-quarter minutes when the game could have slipped away.

The real drama centered around June Mar Fajardo, who finished with a solid 13 points and 13 rebounds despite playing the entire second half with four fouls. I've got to be honest - I thought coach was making a huge mistake keeping him in with that much foul trouble. Watching him navigate those final two quarters while avoiding that fifth foul was like watching someone walk through a minefield. The tension every time he contested a shot was palpable. Fellow big man Mo Tautuaa found himself in identical foul trouble, creating this fascinating situation where both of our primary interior defenders were essentially playing on borrowed time. Personally, I think the coaching staff took an enormous gamble that paid off spectacularly - though I'm not sure I'd have the nerve to make that same decision in a championship game.

What made this victory so impressive was how the team adapted to their compromised interior defense. With Fajardo and Tautuaa both having to play more cautiously, the perimeter players stepped up their defensive intensity, creating turnovers that led to easy transition baskets. I counted at least six possessions where Cruz capitalized directly on these forced errors. The rhythm of the game had this fascinating ebb and flow - moments of cautious, almost tentative play followed by bursts of explosive offense that had the crowd on their feet. That third-quarter run where they extended the lead to 14 points was pure basketball poetry, with Lassiter hitting back-to-back three pointers that felt like daggers.

Looking back, I think we'll remember this as a game where strategy and personnel management triumphed. The decision to stick with the foul-troubled big men, the emergence of Cruz as a genuine scoring threat in high-pressure situations, and the steady hand of veterans like Lassiter - it all came together to create this shocking outcome that has completely changed the complexion of the championship series. I've seen teams overcome adversity before, but never quite like this. The resilience shown, particularly in that tense fourth quarter, makes me believe we might be witnessing something special unfolding in this series. Sometimes you watch a game that feels like it's rewriting the script - last night was one of those games, and I feel privileged to have witnessed it.