San Miguel halts Globalport
Games today (Ynares-Antipolo) 4:15 p.m. – NLEX vs Kia 7 p.m. – Talk n Text vs Alaska
Fully recovered from his stomach ailment, Arizona Reid flashed back his Best Import form, matching the teamrecord nine three-pointers and tying his personal season-best of 41 points as San Miguel Beer ended Globalport’s franchise-record run with a crushing 124-102 win in the PBA Governors Cup at the Cuneta Astrodome.
Marcio Lassiter and Chris Ross put in personal season highs of 24 and 17 points, respectively, and the entire San Miguel team sizzled with a franchise second all-time best of 18 triples in notching a second straight win in the seasonending tourney.
San Miguel improved to 2-2 while dealing Globalport its first loss after a 3-0 conference start.
“It feels good to be 100 percent,” said Reid, who energized the Beermen in his return to tiptop shape after a bout with a stomach infection.
“I’m not a guy who makes excuses, but if you’re sick, you’re sick and you can’t do anything about it,” the two-time Best Import also said, ruing his struggle in their first two games where he was limited to 17 and 13 points.
Reid was nearly unstoppable this game, starring in their third-quarter breakaway with baskets from all over the floor.
He waxed hottest from beyond the arc, making all but two of 11 attempts to tie the San Miguel Beer record set by Lamont Strothers in 2001 then duplicated by Boybits Victoria the following year.
The prized SMB import tied his season best of 41 points on 16-of-28 overall field shooting and could have easily set a new mark if not rested by coach Leo Austria in the last 1:50 of play.
The entire team actually slowed down after ripping the game apart, 102-73, on a huge 41-point third quarter explosion.
The Beermen had made an early breakaway at 39-21 but the Batang Pier quickly got back into the game, 48-49, while riding the efforts of Steve Thomas, Terrence Romeo, Doug Kramer and Stanley Pringle.
Globalport, however, could no longer make another comeback as San Miguel went on a bigger rampage in the third quarter.
The Beermen regained control right at the half at 61-50 on a 12-2 roll by Reid, Lassiter, Fajardo and Gabby Espinas.
Lassiter canned in two triples on that attack and finished with a 5-of-7 three-pointers in the night.
Adding a three-pointer each in San Miguel’s hot shooting night were Ross, Alex Cabagnot, Arwind Santos and Jeric Fortuna.
Meralco stayed abreast with San Miguel Beer at 2-2 as the Bolts outlasted the reigning champs Star Hotshots, 83-81, in a tight nip-and-tuck battle later in the night.