PBA: San Miguel repulses Barako Bull sans Fajardo
San Miguel’s Arizona Reid. PBA Images/Nuki Sabio
MANILA, Philippines — San Miguel Beer bucked the absence of reigning MVP June Mar Fajardo for majority of the game to beat Barako Bull, 102-91, in the 2015 PBA Commissioner’s Cup Tuesday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Beermen showed some positives amid a flailing campaign as they head into the All-Star break tied with the Blackwater Elite at the bottom of the standings with a 2-6 record. The Energy on the other hand, dropped to 4-4.
Import Arizona Reid had 34 points, 16 rebounds and six assists for San Miguel while Arwind Santos finally showed up this conference with 22 points on 7-of-14 shooting from the field that went with 13 rebounds in 41 minutes.
“Mentally, physically we’re drained,” SMB head coach Leo Austria said on his team’s performance this conference after coming off a championship run in the Philippine Cup. “But the last few days we’ve been able to catchup. We bounced back tonight despite June Mar being sidelined.”
Fajardo twisted his left ankle with still under four minutes left in the first quarter and did not return. San Miguel rebounded from a loss to defending champion Purefoods in overtime last Sunday.
With Fajardo unable to comeback, Doug Kramer filled in and had 14 points and eight rebounds. Veteran guard Alex Cabagnot, like Santos, also played his best game this conference with 17 points, eight rebounds and three assists.
The Beermen led by as high as 15 late in the second quarter before the Energy, behind forward JC Intal, came back in the third quarter.
Intal scored 12 of his 25 points in the third period, where Barako Bull pulled to within one. Solomon Alabi, the 7-foot import, also had 25 points on top of 24 rebounds.
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