It was not a walk in the park but San Miguel Beer managed to get the job done and lead the way to the semifinals of the PBA Philippine Cup.
The defending champion Beermen paraded a new sparkplug in RR Garcia in ousting the hard-fighting but tired Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, 98-91, Sunday at Ynares Antipolo.
Garcia scattered 25 points, hitting five of seven triple attempts, as the Beermen, the runaway elimination topnotcher with a 10-1 win-loss record, advanced in their first crack at the best-of-seven semifinal stage against the lowest of eight qualifiers.
The Painters, who were playing their fourth game in eight days, somehow threatened at 89-94 behind the suddenly offense-conscious Beau Belga, but a four-point cluster from Arwind Santos settled the issue for the Beermen.
Also upholding their quarterfinal seedings were TNT KaTropa and Star which used sizzling stands in the second half to demolish their rivals at the start of the best-of-three format for the No. 3 to No. 6 qualifiers.
The Texters, ranked third after the eliminations, bucked a combined 47-point performance by crack Batang Pier guards Terrence Romeo and Stanley Pringle to down No. 6 GlobalPort, 109-101, after trailing by 10 in the first quarter.
Romeo followed up his 44-point job against Rain or Shine with 38 while Pringle added 19 but the Texters, champion here in 2011 and 2012 but a quarterfinal flop last year, seized a 61-56 lead at halftime and were in complete control in the final half.
After barely missing the No. 2 seed and falling to No. 4 among the top eight quarterfinalists, the Hotshots sustained their blazing forms with a 114-83 dismantling of the Phoenix Fuel Masters.
A 37-12 third quarter rampage boosted Star out front at 82-64 and Phoenix, the fifth-ranked qualifier, went on to lose by 31 points. The Hotshots were even more unforgiving in closing their quarterfinal schedule, blasting the Meralco Bolts by 47 (120-73), and Mahindra by 37 (124-87).
TNT and Star seek the clincher Monday with the possible playoff set Wednesday.