SMB boosts stock in tight race

Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

THE LEAGUE’S heavyweights all came through recently with reigning Philippine Cup champion San Miguel Beer providing the most impressive victory going into the final four weeks of the eliminations in the Oppo-PBA Commissioner’s Cup.

The Beermen dispelled all worries about the state of health of their two-time Most Valuable Player June Mar Fajardo by overwhelming the ertswhile leader Alaska Aces, 116-96, Wednesday, with the 6-foot-10 Cebuano center watching the action in uniform on the bench.

Fajardo had told SMB coach Leo Austria he was ready to play in what was actually a rematch between the  Philippine Cup finalists after leaving the game against Rain or Shine in the second quarter just five days ago with an injured right knee. It was the same injury that kept him out of action in the first five games of the SMB-Alaska title series before he returned to complete a historic 4-0 closing run in a seven-game series that clinched the crown for the Beermen.

Whether the injury had healed or not, nobody knew. The Beermen came up with a sizzling display of firepower against the Aces that there simply was no reason to use the services of Fajardo. They unloaded a total of 17 three-point shots, surged ahead by 21 points midway in the third quarter, and led by as much as 27 at 111-84.

It was just the second loss in seven games for Alaska even as San Miguel, whose stock as a bright Grand Slam prospect grew even more, improved to fourth at 4-2.

Meralco gained from Alaska’s fall as the Bolts, an earlier victim of the Beermen, regained the lead at 6-2 with a 106-83 whipping of Blackwater after sacking former Gilas Pilipinas gunner Gary David. For refusing to play in protest of curtailed playing time, David got the axe from management, which declared him an unrestricted free agent.

Also moving up was Barangay Ginebra, which eluded a great upset from Phoenix Petroleum in an out-of-town game in Panabo City in Davao del Norte as LA Tenorio buried a long jumper with 1.2 seconds left to seal a 102-10l victory.

The Gin Kings, who trailed by as much as 19 points, improved to 5-3 to take third over the Beermen, who are half-a-game up on Rain or Shine (4-3), which survived the loss of coach Yeng Guiao for two technical fouls in the second quarter of a 103-98 win over Mahindra.

Rounding out the top six of the standings was Star (4-4) as the Hotshots stormed to a 127-100 win over the GlobalPort Batang Pier, who are missing their injured crack guards Terrence Romeo and Stanley Pringle.

It’s going to be a very tight race in the next two weeks with the leading five teams gunning for the top two slots at the end of the one-round eliminations that will earn twice-to-beat bonus in the quarterfinal playoffs.

Just as interesting is the race for the last two places in the eight-team playoff cast with defending champion Tropang TNT, NLEX and Mahindra tied for seventh at 3-4 followed by Blackwater at 3-5, Phoenix at 2-5 and GlobalPort at 2-6.