‘Be at our best to beat the best’

VICTOLERO: HOTSHOTS NEED A-1 GAME FOR 48 MINS VS BEERMEN

Game tomorrow (Smart Araneta Coliseum) 6:30 p.m. – San Miguel vs Magnolia Game 1: Magnolia 105, San Miguel 103 Game 2: San Miguel 92, Magnolia 77 Game 3: San Miguel 111, Magnolia 87

Three games into the final series, Magnolia coach Chito Victolero said their only chance to beat San Miguel Beer is to dish out their best in 48 minutes, no more, no less.

“We need to find a way to play 48 minutes of consistent basketball. You relax a minute, and they will make you pay,” said Victolero, getting a better grasp of the Beermen the hard way.

The Beermen redeemed themselves from their Game One heartbreaker with resounding victories in the next two games where an array of players – and not just June Mar Fajardo – showing up for the mighty champs.

After a 92-77 win in Game Two and a 111-87 triumph in Game Three, the Beermen will try to zero in on a PBA Philippine Cup four-peat in the Game Four of the best-of-seven championship series at the Smart Araneta Coliseum tomorrow.

“We somehow neutralized June Mar in Game Two but their shooters took charge. In Game Three, we did a pretty good job on June Mar and Arwind Santos, but the other guys, especially those coming off the bench, stepped up,” said Victolero.

“After Game One, I did expect their reserves to come out, but I didn’t expect them to play that well. Brian Heruela and Matt Rosser gave us a problem in Game Two, then Gabby Espinas joined the picture in Game Three,” Victolero added. “Even those guys are now a big concern for us. It just shows their firepower. We have to pick our poison.”

Magnolia carved out a 105-103 win in the series opener when the entire SMB bench produced just one point.

Heruela, Rosser and Billy Mamaril contributed 20 off the bench in Game Two then the SMB second group made much more impact in Game Three as they worked on the team’s breakaway in the fourth quarter.

“Bench scoring used to be our strength. We’re also being beaten in that area now. We also need to think a countermeasure on that,” said Victolero.

Another concern for the Magnolia coaching staff is the team’s habit of starting slow in the second half.

“It’s been that way for us from our NLEX semis series. The same in the first three games of the finals, and it extended to the start of the fourth quarter (in Game Three), rued Victolero.

“You can’t afford to do that against San Miguel. We can’t afford to relax a single minute. San Miguel would zoom away the moment you do that,” Victolero pointed out.

Since San Miguel coach Leo Austria has stretched his rotation, Victolero said they’re now feeling the absence of injury-hit players Marc Pingris and Justin Melton.