TnT KaTropa and San Miguel rarely meet in a title series, but they do have a lot of memorable moments in the few times they face each other in the Finals.
The finale of the PBA Commissioner's Cup which starts Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum mark just the fifth time that SMB and TnT KaTropa are facing each other in a title duel.
The first meting between these two teams in the title playoffs took place during the 2005 Fiesta Conference. Led by Danny Ildefonso, the Beermen dominated Asi Taulava and company and clinched the series, 4-1 series.
It was SMB's first championship since the 2001 All-Filipino Cup and the sixth and final for Jong Uichico as Beermen mentor.
SMB and TnT arrange another title duel six years later, but this time the KaTropa lorded it over the Beermen, 4-2, to claim the 2011 Philippine Cup crown.
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Highlight of that title victory was Jimmy Alapag and Jayson Castro being named Finals MVP.
TnT won another championship - the Commissioner's Cup -- the following conference at the expense of Barangay Ginebra and moved on the threshold of complete a rare Grand Slam.
But there will be no triple crown for the KaTropa.
With Jay Washington and rookie Rabeh Al-Hussaini down with injuries, the SMC franchise (at the time carrying the colors of Petron) stave off elimination and barely made it to the Finals.
But import Anthony Grundy gallantly took the cudgels and teamed up with Arwind Santos - the eventual Finals MVP - as Petron outdueled TnT in a deciding seventh game to foil TnT's Triple Crown dream.
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Interestingly, it was Santos's first title and the only championship of Ato Agustin as coach.
It took another six years before SMB and TNT crossed paths again in the 2017 Commissioner's Cup. The Beermen won the title in six games.
It was the second title that season for the Beermen, who eventually fall short of completing the Grand Slam, while the KaTropa underwent struggles in the next five conferences before returning to the Finals this conference. (JT)
