SMB set for PH Cup ‘3-peat’
For all the never-say-die hype associated with Ginebra San Miguel, the Gin Kings now need a miracle to salvage the PBA Philippine Cup title series against the defending champion San Miguel Beermen.
With two contrasting but nevertheless impressive victories last week, the Beermen surged to a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven championship playoffs against the highly popular Kings, who actually were lucky to avoid getting swept thus far.
Beaten black and blue in the title series opener, 109-82, the Kings rallied to make it 1-1 with an overtime 124-118 decision after blowing a 26-point lead in the second quarter.
But the Beermen quickly dispelled doubts on their bid to pull off the second all-Filipino title three-peat with a sizzling finish in a 99-88 Game 3 victory before routing the Kings anew in Game 4, 94-85, behind a fiery show of three-point shooting.
The league’s oldest franchise, SMB is gunning for a 23rd championship and the fourth in the last seven tournaments under Leo Austria, once a topnotch guard for the now defunct Shell franchise.
While he is a long way from matching the leading 19 titles of coach Tim Cone of Ginebra, Austria owns a record achievement that is now popularly referred to in the league as the “Beeracle” in last year’s title series against the Alaska Aces.
Trailing 0-3 and left as dead for all intents and purposes, the Beermen pulled off the first ever sweep of the last four games of a best-of-seven playoffs.
June Mar Fajardo, who came out of sick bay to help the Beermen midway through the championship stage last year, has remained the biggest stumbling block for the Kings, who continue to miss their injured 7-foot center Greg Slaughter.
The wide-bodied 6-10 Cebuano gives SMB an unstoppable scoring and rebounding threat as he pursues what looks like a sure fourth straight MVP award this year. And backing him up are crack guards Chris Ross and Alex Cabagnot and forwards Arwind Santos and Marcio Lassiter who form what is easily the strongest starting five in the tournament.
Fajardo was honored as the Best Player of the Conference before Game 4 and to show his appreciation for the support of his teammates, he asked all the Beermen to join him in celebration.
