Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
SAN Miguel Beer coach Leo Austria is not at all worried that fatigue will be a factor for his Beermen when they shoot to lead Barangay Ginebra for the first time in their Final Four series in the PBA Governors’ Cup tomorrow night.
“Both teams will be fatigued,” Austria said after he played just 10 men—two of them below a minute—in the Beermen’s 95-92 nipping of the Gin Kings that squared their best-of-five semifinal series after two games at Smart Araneta Coliseum last night.
“It will really depend on how you prepared your team in the off-season,” Austria, seeking to win a second title this season, said. “And I keep telling my players that it’s mind over matter.”
San Miguel, like in a series-opening 108-115 loss on Monday night where Austria played only eight men, blew a commanding first half lead but managed to hold on this time.
“Game 1 was a clear indication that we did not play defense,” Austria said, referring to the ton of points they gave up on Monday night. “I hope this win gives us momentum for Game 3.”
Elijah Millsap scored 25 points and had 10 key points in the fourth quarter, with reigning two-time MVP June Mar Fajardo shooting 18 that went with 23 rebounds in a mammoth effort that could have been bigger had he not sat out a huge chunk of the second period because of a busted eyebrow.
“In the beginning, I have always said that this would be a chess match (among coaches) as we look for strengths and weaknesses,” Austria went on. “We learned our lessons in the last game.”
LA Tenorio did have a big game as promised by Ginebra coach Tim Cone, with the 5-foot-8 point guard firing 22. But import Justin Brownlee, after tossing in 32 in Game 1, was starved to just 18, with Japeth Aguilar firing just nine after making 22 on Monday.
“I don’t think we had great focus at the start tonight,” Cone rued as his boys were buried in a 16-point hole late in the second period. “We have to learn to play together in a series.”
Fajardo got the nasty gash from an accidental elbow from teammate Millsap and had to leave the floor for team physicians to stop the bleeding.
The scores:
SAN MIGUEL BEER 95—Millsap 25, Fajardo 18, Cabagnot 13, Tubid 10, Lassiter 8, Ross 8, Santos 7, De Ocampo 6, Reyes 0, Semerad 0.
BRGY. GINEBRA 92—Tenorio 22, Brownlee 18, Caguioa 11, Mercado 11, Mariano 10, Aguilar 9, Thompson 7, Cruz 4, Devance 0, Marcelo 0.
Quarters: 24-18, 51-40, 72-71, 95-92