Titan Ultra built the biggest lead of its PBA Governors’ Cup campaign, then had to survive Macau’s furious fightback to finally get even with its longtime tormentor, escaping with a 132-128 win Tuesday, August 4, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

The Giant Risers looked every bit unstoppable in the first half, smashing multiple franchise scoring records en route to a commanding 66-37 lead. But just like their previous meeting with the Giant Pandas — this time in reverse — Titan Ultra watched a massive cushion evaporate in the second half before closing out the win in the PBA Governors’ Cup.

Brown-Powered Blitz Sets Franchise Scoring Records

Tirrell Brown was the engine behind Titan Ultra’s explosive start, finishing with 36 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists as the Giant Risers put up new franchise bests for points in a quarter (47), a half (80), and total output in the game.

Joshua Munzon chipped in 18 points, while the second unit provided a major spark. Roi Sumang and Bryan Sajonia anchored a bench that combined for 57 points, giving coach Rensy Bajar deep, reliable scoring options as Titan Ultra piled on the pressure early.

The result was a dominant opening half that put Macau in a deep hole and set the stage for the drama to come.

Giant Pandas Rally Late, But Ular and Brown Hold the Line

Macau refused to fold. Behind De’Vondre Perry’s monster line of 45 points and 14 rebounds, the Giant Pandas trimmed the deficit to 60-80 at halftime and further chipped it down to 97-108 heading into the fourth quarter, echoing the same third- and fourth-quarter surge that beat Titan Ultra back on July 25.

“We know that Macau will come back. Iyon din ang sinabi ko sa kanila sa huddle,” Bajar said, revealing he had already warned his players in the huddle about the Giant Pandas’ trademark comeback threat.

The Giant Risers needed timely contributions to weather the storm. Ato Ular delivered in crunch time, scoring six of his nine points and grabbing five of his eight rebounds in the payoff period. His fourth-quarter surge proved critical after starter Mark Omega was stretchered out following a hard fall off a rebound with 11:07 left in the game.

Brown once again came up big when it mattered most, hitting a string of clutch baskets down the stretch to keep Macau from completing the improbable comeback.

Ramon Cao added 24 points for Macau, while 6-10 big man Jeffrey Ma turned in a personal PBA-best 18 points and 10 rebounds. Damien Chongqui posted 18 points and nine assists, and Kobey Lam provided 14 points off the bench. Starter Jenning Leung, however, was held to just seven points.

Despite the tough loss, Macau remains at 2-5 in Group A of the PBA Governors’ Cup — the same record as Titan Ultra, which snapped a two-game skid with the win.

“So, like what happened to us in our previous game, we were leading by 16 points in the first half and then all of a sudden they came back strong in the third and fourth quarters,” Bajar added. “Ganu’n na rin ang nangyari sa amin at this point, but nag-stick together lang ‘yung mga bata.”

With the win, Titan Ultra not only avenged its earlier 126-132 defeat to Macau but did so in franchise-record-setting fashion — even if it meant sweating out every last possession of the PBA Governors’ Cup thriller.