Strong finish leads SMB to victory
Game tonight (Smart Araneta Coliseum) 6:15 p.m. – TNT KaTropa vs Barangay Ginebra (Game 2, Semifinals) TNT leads series, 1-0
Rain or Shine started out strong but in the end, it was San Miguel which drew first blood in their PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinal duel.
Forced on the backfoot by the hot-starting Elasto Painters, the Beermen cranked it up in the second half to wrest control and set the table for a 111-105 victory and a 1-0 upperhand in the best-of-five series.
Christian Standhardinger fired 16 of his 20 in the last 24 minutes to key the Beermen’s fightback from 13 points down and offset June Mar Fajardo’s nine-point effort. Standhardinger and Chris McCullough (32 markers) played the anchor as SMB reversed the tide and even took a nine-point cushion in the last 8:19.
“They were able to neutralize June Mar at the post by running a lot of ball screen on top, forcing me to get June Mar out of the floor. But luckily I have big men like Christian who played really well, especially on defense. His hustle was a big factor that won this for us but overall it’s a team effort,” said SMB coach Leo Austria.
The upset-conscious E-Painters pushed the Beermen to the limit, storming to twin digit upperhands at 20-13 and 43-33 in the early goings.
But the reigning Philippine Cup titlists, fired up by McCullough’s outburst during a huddle, regrouped, and unleashed a strong third quarter highlighted by an impressive 14-of-20 field goal shooting (70 percent) to wrest the drivers’ seat, 85-83.
Standhardinger and McCullough, with help from Chris Ross, stretched the lead further to 98-89.
“We had a very slow start and that’s something we shouldn’t commit because it would give our opponents confidence. But because of our team’s experience and pride as a winner, we’re able to overcome it,” said Austria.
The SMB mentor admitted missing shooter Marcio Lassiter, who’s out on a knee injury.
“His absence affected our rotation. They (ROS) we’re trying to stop June Mar in the post and without Marcio, they could gamble and zone,” said Austria. The scores: San Miguel 111 - McCullough 32, Standhardinger 20, Ross 19, Cabagnot 12, Romeo 10, Fajardo 9, Santos 9, Tubid 0, Pessumal 0, Rosser 0.
Rain or Shine 105 - Montgomery 20, Norwood 16, Torres 13, Mocon 12, Nambatac 12, Belga 7, Ponferada 6, Rosales 5, Yap 5, Daquioag 5, Borboran 4, Alejandro 0.
Quarterscores: 19-27, 46-52, 85-83, 111-105