Photo by Tristan Tamayo/ INQUIRER.net
San Miguel once again showed why it has been the gold standard for the last four years after easily dispatching Ginebra, 102-90, in Game 1 of the 2018 PBA Philippine Cup semifinals on Friday.
The team has come along way since its time of disarray and what has been the biggest difference for the Beermen is everyone wanting the same thing.
“Of course, we feel glad,” said Santos in Filipino. San Miguel is successful not because of one or two individuals, but because every one of us steps up. It starts from our utilities, all our coaches why we’re playing this well. When one of us dreams, we all want to support them. And the good thing here is we have the same dream. That’s why we’re united.
.@TheSMBeermen’s @arwindsotnas speaks on the importance of this Game 1 win vs Ginebra. #PBA2018 pic.twitter.com/SQ4lPSKT70
— Randolph B. Leongson (@RLeongsonINQ) March 9, 2018
Santos led the balanced attack for San Miguel, lighting it up from distance with his 5-of-8 shooting from three to finish with 23 points, eight rebounds, and three assists.
But it wasn’t just him as guys like Von Pessumal (career-high 18 points), Marcio Lassiter (17 points on a 5-of-11 three-point shooting), and Alex Cabagnot (15 points and six assists) all did their part for the Beermen to gain the 1-0 series lead.
The game showed glimpse of how lethal the defending three-time all-Filipino conference champs could be when everyone is hitting their strides and Santos is hoping to see him team sustain that.
“We’re happy with the way we’re playing. We can say that we’ve gone through a lot before we’re able to build our team, but now, we’re here. I hope we still play together until the end, that our game won’t change, that we will not be overconfident or relax. If we need to win, we’re showing that we can give our all and help each other.
That’s exactly the attitude Santos is hoping for San Miguel aims for the 2-0 series lead on Sunday.
“We’ve already tasted the sweet fruit and we like it. Next time, we hope we can repeat this and get our second win.”