Well-oiled San Mig trounces Mahindra
The San Miguel Beermen hardly needed the presence of June Mar Fajardo yesterday as they cruised to a 109-80 win over the hapless Mahindra Floodbuster that extended their unbeaten start to four games in the PBA Commissioner's Cup at the Cuneta Astrodome.
Alex Cabagnot set the tone for a relaxed afternoon of basketball for the Beermen, firing 16 of his 26 points in the first quarter while import Charles Rhodes made good on his promise to show more highlight reel dunks with a second quarter slam that delighted the good-sized audience.
Marcio Lassiter was also a joy to watch as he erupted for 12 of his 18 points in the third – all from the three-point territory as San Miguel led by a high of 34 points on its way to the most-lopsided win of the midseason conference.
It was also the first time ever that San Miguel beat Mahindra in an import-laced conference.
Prior to the game, the Beermen were 0-4 against the Kia/Mahindra franchise in both the Commissioner's Cup and Governors' Cup tournaments since the latter's pro entry in 2014.
Coach Leo Austria gave his players the leeway to treat the game like it was a recreational meet, but was pleased that they performed like a well-oiled machine.
Fajardo was held scoreless for the first time since his rookie season when he failed to score in a March 2013 Commissioner's Cup game against Air21. But then, the three-time reigning Most Valuable Player played just eight minutes and spent the whole second half enjoying the proceedings.
Austria said the lopsided contest allowed them to rest Fajardo, who usually logs heavy minutes even as participates in Gilas Pilipinas' preparation for next month's SEABA Championship.
Rhodes finished with 20 points, including a two-hand slam that came off a foul by Mahindra's Rey Guevarra with 8:29 remaining, extending San Miguel's lead to 42-24. Rhodes' dunk came three days after posterizing Chris Javier and Allein Maliksi in the Beermen's 103-97 victory over the Star Hotshots.
In the second game, Barangay Ginebra San Miguel erupted for 42 points in the third quarter before extending the woes of winless NLEX, 101-92, to go 3-1 this conference. The Road Warriors dropped to 0-7, losing their last 11 games dating back to the Philippine Cup.