Relentless Beermen drag Aces to the limit

SAN MIGUEL Beer carved out the most convincing win in its PBA Philippine Cup title series with Alaska last night and, after everything had seemed lost just a week back, can now start preparing for a huge celebration of its own.

Down 0-3 and practically written off as goners, the Beermen moved within another victory of completing an improbable comeback after sending the rugged and physical series to a deciding Game 7 with a 100-89 win at Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.

A 17-3 blitzkrieg in the first 5:30 of the fourth period broke Alaska’s back, as the Beermen zoomed away from a 67-66 count at the end of the third to build an 84-69 cushion that set up the most authoritative victory by any team in this series.

Marcio Lassiter had two triples in that blast and finished with 17 of his 26 in the fourth period, leading four other battling Beermen in twin digits.

San Miguel tries to complete an inverted sweep of the Aces on Wednesday at Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.

“First of all, we’ve achieved nothing yet; we just tied this series,” San Miguel coach Leo Austria told reporters while seated between former MVPs Arwind Santos and June Mar Fajardo. “This is history in the making for us.”

Actually, the Beermen have already written a piece of history in the league by being the first team to erase a 0-3 deficit and forge a decider.

Winning in Wednesday’s all-or-nothing Game 7, though, would not only write a big piece of PBA history, but also of world professional sports.

“[We were] beaten fair and square,” Alaska coach Alex Compton said. “It was a great fourth quarter by San Miguel; they just got going offensively in the first half of the fourth.

“Now I think the pressure is really on [us],” Compton added.

Those 17 points by Lassiter were one more than what the entire San Miguel crew scored in the third period. Fajardo added eight in that same stretch as the Beermen practically coasted the rest of the way and added to the frustrations of the Aces.

In his second game back from a knee injury, Fajardo finished with 16 points and seven rebounds.

Santos had 10 and 15, sustaining his rise from a mediocre first three games.

Vic Manuel paced the Aces with 21 points and nine boards, with Calvin Abueva, who fouled out for the second straight game, contributing 17 and nine rebounds.

The scores:
SAN MIGUEL 100—Lassiter 26, Fajardo 16, De Ocampo 14, Cabagnot 10, Santos 10, Ross 8, Tubid 7, Espinas 4, Heruela 2, Lutz 2, Arana 1.
ALASKA 89—Manuel 21, Abueva 17, Jazul 13, Casio 11, Thoss 8, Baclao 6, Banchero 6, Menk 3, Baguio 2, Exciminiano 2, Dela Cruz 0, Hontiveros 0.
Quarters: 22-29, 51-49, 67-66, 100-89