SMB of yore in Game Four
San Miguel Beer (SMB) played its usual self in Game 4 Sunday after spending most of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals trying to play within TNT KaTropa’s tempo, looking to frustrate import Terrence Jones whenever an opportunity arises.
That ill-conceived strategy was abandoned entirely as SMB faced the specter of a 3-1 deficit.
The Beermen had their best performance since the series began, leaning on a telling 12-0 run in the third quarter and productive showings from import Chris McCullough, Alex Cabagnot and June Mar Fajardo to put the Finals back to square one with a 2-2 deadlock.
Another key for SMB in the 106-101 triumph was how Chris Ross abandoned his “mind games” and focused more on getting the result than baiting Jones to lose his cool like in the previous games when the two engaged in heated exchanges.
Getting the win puts momentum in SMB’s hands before the two teams return to the Smart Araneta Coliseum for Wednesday’s pivotal fifth game.
Crucial in SMB’s chances is whether Fajardo can build on his Game 4 outing where he scored 10 straight in the 12-0 run that enabled SMB to take control of the contest with a 7665 lead.
Fajardo has been groping for form since the Finals began despite consistent numbers, even sharing minutes with Christian Standhardinger in order to match up with TNT’s speedvarying offensive flow.
“Kahit nagmimintis ako hinahanap pa rin ako, binibigyan nila ako ng kumpiyansa (Even if I couldn’t convert my shots, my teammates keep giving me opportunities so that I could gain my confidence),” said Fajardo.
“Buti nakakuha ako ng baskets at tumaas ang kumpiyansa ko nun (Good thing I was able get make shots and build my confidence),” he added.
TNT consultant Mark Dickel lauded SMB for setting the tone compared to the previous three outings.
“They were desperate and they played well,” said Dickel. “I thought McCullough had a good game and they gave us different issues to deal with – June Mar sealing early and stuff like that; they played well.”