Beermen prove mastery of Gin Kings anew
IN the five previous San Miguel BeerBarangay Ginebra meetings for the PBA championships, the Gin Kings had won Game 1 four times still but lost the titles to the Beermen in as many times.
It looks like the same pattern will follow in the ongoing PBA Commissioner’s Cup finale where the Kings took Gamed 1 by a blowout and the Beermen returning the compliment, also in lopsided fashion in Game 2.
And to prove that coach Leo Austria’s charges are out to repeat their predecessor’s feats in the 2017 Philippine Cup, 2009 Fiesta Cup, 2001 All-Filipino Cup and 1989 Reinforced Conference, the Beermen made it two in-a-row over their sister team, with another emphatic, one-sided 132-94 manhandling of coach Tim Cone’s boys last Wednesday.
What could be a pivotal Game 4 is scheduled Friday, also at the Araneta Coliseum.
In that series leading Game 3 triumph on Wednesday, the Beermen sent the boisterous Kings’ followers home in tears anew after working behind an uninterrupted nine-point barrage starring their hard-working import Renaldo Balkman and guard Chris Ross translating a slim 53-51 advantage to what turned out an unreachable 62-51 bubble on the way to building a 2-1 series lead.
That was two more victories short of retaining the Commish Cup and a step closer to claiming the SMC franchise’ second Grand Slam and first under the tutelage of businessman-sportsman Ramon S. Ang.
Balkman scored five points of that San Miguel 9-0 rampage while Chris Ross made a string of three consecutive threes in the same quarter unmindful of a nasty cut he suffered late in the second period.
The Beermen went up by 11 points, 73-62, following that attack and never looked back, erecting leads of as many as 40 points in the third successive lopsided game in the bestof-seven championship series.
“I didn’t expect this to happen,” a surprised San Miguel coach Leo Austria told media men in the post-game press conference. “It’s kinda weird na first game, tinambakan kami, second game bawi kami tambak din. This game, another blowout.”
Per records of PBA chief statistician Fidel Mangonon, the Beermen’s 38-point margin tied the biggest in PBA Finals history, matching the gap in Alaska’s 99-61 win over SMB, which else in Game 6 of 1998 All-Filipino Cup Finals.
Balkman finished with 28 points and 11 rebounds, while Ross had 23 points, seven rebounds, and five assists while converting seven of his 13 three-point shots.
“I have nothing to say other than I am embarrassed by our performance,” Ginebra coach Tim Cone could only murmur as he stormed out of the tunnel shortly after the defeat as if avoiding the press.
“They’re too good for us,” he added on the way to where his vehicle was parked.
Ginebra’s ’s lack of efforts was observers, including basketball’s “living legend” Robert Jaworski, blamed for the King’s Game 3 loss.
“Ang napansin ko lang they don’t talk to each other, even while sitting on the bench, Jaworki noted. when chanced upon by this writer on his way out. “Ni hindi man lang nag-tse- cheer sa
kanilang teammates on the floor.”
The defense was so loose. Tingnan mo
‘yung second chance points of San Miguel and you’d be amazed at the percentage. No boxing out,” the father of Ginebra’s ”never say die attitude,” said.
He was correct.
Not only did the Beermen outrebound the taller Kings, 55-38, especially on the offensive board recoveries where Austria’s boys had a whooping 20-8 advantage that produced a 32-10 second chance points.