USING a big third quarter, San Miguel Beer on Monday night tore Rain or Shine to shreds, 105-92, tying the Smart Bro-PBA Philippine Cup semifinal series at 2-2 at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
June Mar Fajardo scored 33 points, but had 13 of them in the third period of last night’s Game 4. Fajardo and Arwind Santos led the Beermen in dropping 37 points there as San Miguel opened up commanding leads to make the final quarter just a virtual round robin.
There were a total of five players in twin digits for the defending champion Beermen as the others took a lot of weight off the shoulders of Fajardo, whom coach Leo Austria has worked ragged all series long.
Marcio Lassiter tossed in 20, Santos finished with 19 and Chris Ross and Alex Cabagnot combined for another 25 as San Miguel arrested a two-game skid and will have momentum going into the critical Game 5 Wednesday also at the Big Dome in Cubao.
Fajardo also plucked down 16 rebounds and had six blocks, still playing 40 minutes even when the outcome was already settled way before the halfway point of the fourth when the Beermen were enjoying a 101-81 lead.
“I am happy that they responded,” San Miguel coach Leo Austria told reporters, who asked him how his players took his threat of disciplinary action the last game when his instructions in a crucial possession wasn’t followed.
“They had a different approach in this game. They knew that we were on the brink of elimination [had we lost tonight],” Austria said.
Rookies Maverick Ahanmisi and Don Trollano scored 15 apiece to pace the Painters, who played without Raymond Almazan for the second straight game and were also without the injured Jericho Cruz.
Cruz will attend practice today and coach Yeng Guiao will decide on whether or not to play him in Game 5. The result of Cruz’s MRI scan revealed a hyper extended right knee.
Guiao rued what he claimed was spotty officiating for the lopsided loss.
JEWEL Ponferada of Rain or Shine drives past San Miguel Beer tower-of-power June Mar Fajardo in last night’s still unfinished Game 4 of their semifinal series at Smart Araneta Coliseum. AUGUST DELA CRUZ
Rain or Shine also lost superstar guard Paul Lee with 2.7 seconds left in the third period after he was called for a blocking foul on a driving Gabby Espinas.
“We did not get the breaks from the refs,” Guiao, his voice hoarse, said. “They (Beermen) already have the size advantage on us and they have the advantage [in officiating].
“It’s getting worse,” Guiao continued. “If you don’t get breaks in officiating, there’s no way any team [in this league] can beat them.”
Meanwhile, an Alaska side that has been unforgiving in the last three games goes for the jugular against GlobalPort Tuesday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
A victory by the Aces in Game 5 of their Final Four clash with the Batang Pier will effectively end GlobalPort’s first-ever semifinal stint and put Alaska on course to nailing its 15th league championship.
Tip off is at 7 p.m.