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San Miguel Beer lost its final elimination round game but regained its full strength with the return of starting guard Alex Cabagnot on Wednesday night.
Cabagnot missed six games due to a partial tear in his right foot, but is back just in time before the the start of the playoffs where the Beermen will shoot for a fourth straight Philippine Cup championship.
“It felt good. Probably timing is a little bit off, but overall, it was okay,” Cabagnot said after a 95-80 loss to Rain or Shine.
San Miguel still managed to get the top seeding despite missing the services of Cabagnot, who was averaging 19 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists before the injury.
The 35-year-old Cabagnot said the Beermen being able to sustain their form is a testament to the team’s “character.”
“We had some guys who stepped up and that’s really how our team works. I was gone for six games, but we went 4-2,” he said. “That’s a good record to have in a six-game stretch for any team. That just shows our character, and it’s a paradigm of sorts on how we are as a team.”
Still groping for form, Cabagnot finished with 13 points, four rebounds and only one assist in over 30 minutes of play.