PINAYUNGAN ni Bradwyn Guinto ng Blackwater si CJ Perez ng San Miguel sa kanilang laro sa PBA Commissioner’s Cup kahapon sa Araneta Coliseum. Kuha ni RUDY ESPERAS
Laro ngayon:
(Ibalong Centrum for Recreation)
6:30 p.m. – Ginebra vs NLEX
DINISPATSA ng San Miguel Beer ang Blackwater, 125-117, upang makopo ang twice-to-beat incentive sa susunod na round sa PBA Commissioner’s Cup kahapon sa Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Nanguna si Bennie Boatwright para sa Beermen na may 44 points at 12 rebounds at nakakuha ng kinakailangang tulong mula sa nagbabalik na si June Mar Fajardo, gayundin kina Chris Ross, Don Trollano at Jericho Cruz sa endgame.
Ang ika-5 sunod na panalo sa pagtatapos ng eliminations ay nagbigay sa SMB ng 8-3 record at naging ikatlong koponan matapos ng Magnolia at Phoenix Super LPG na nakakuha ng top four finish na may twice-to-beat advantage sa quarterfinals.
Para kay coach Jorge Gallent, isa lamang itong panibagong hakbang papalapit sa ultimate goal ng SMB. “This is just our first ladder,” aniya.
“Our first goal was to get into the top four for the twice-to-beat advantage, and we did that. So now we have to work on our quarterfinal stint. As of now we don’t know who we’ll play but we have to prepare against the team we will play in the quarterfinals,” dagdag ni Gallent.
“So, this five-game winning streak is out already. This is ladder one, so we’re going to ladder two now.”
Tulad ng dati, si Fajardo ay naging vital cog sa kampanya ng Beermen sa pagkamada ng 11 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, isang steal, at isang block habang nagpakita ng maliit na ill effects ng hand injury na nag-sideline sa kanya sa anim na laro.
“He makes my job easy because he’s such a great passer,” sabi ni Boatwright patungkol sa seven-time MVP.
“Whenever he gets the ball inside, they have to double him or go into a zone. So I just have to face out and he’ll find me,” dagdag ni Boatwright. “He finds everybody and if they don’t he can go one-on-one and that’s tough to stop. He’s a force to be reckoned with.”
Nag-ambag din para sa SMB si CJ Perez na may 15 points habang nakalikom si Terrence Romeo, na bagama’t masama ang pakiramdam ay nagposte ng 14 points at 6 assists. Gumawa si Cruz ng 12 markers, habang nagdagdag si Trollano ng 10 points.
Nagtala si Chris Ortiz ng kanyang sariling double-double na 43 points at 15 rebounds upang pangunahan ang Blackwater, na matikas na nakihamok ngunit nalasap pa rin ang ika-10 sunod na kabiguan.
CLYDE MARIANO
Iskor:
San Miguel (125) – Boatwright 44, Perez 15, Romeo 14, Cruz 12, Fajardo 11, Trollano 10, Tautuaa 8, Ross 6, Teng 5, Lassiter 0.
Blackwater (117) – Ortiz 43, Hill 14, Suerte 13, Amer 12, Kwukuteye 9, Sena 8, DiGregorio 7, Guinto 4, Ilagan 3, Concepcion 2, Jopia 2, Escoto 0.
QS: 27-25, 63-51, 98-86, 125-117.
