Photo by Tristan Tamayo/ INQUIRER.net
Arwind Santos clarified that he wasn’t out picking a fight during San Miguel’s emphatic 92-77 Game 2 victory over Magnolia Sunday in the 2018 PBA Philippine Cup Finals.
Santos nearly came to blows with Jio Jalalon in this game, but that didn’t stop him from tallying 24 points on a 6-of-12 shooting from three, to go with eight rebounds and two blocks.
“Maybe they thought I was looking for a fight,” said Santos in Filipino. “But that was only because I just want to win and I want to tie the series. It was going to be hard if Magnolia had gotten a 2-0 lead.”
.@TheSMBeermen’s @arwindsotnas: “Bilang may-ari ng trono, kahit sinong umagaw, talagang magagalit ka.” #PBA2018 #PBAFinals pic.twitter.com/6cUzan16X4
— Randolph B. Leongson (@RLeongsonINQ) March 25, 2018
Santos said his fiesty form was just his way of helping San Miguel restore some semblance of order, especially after that humiliating Game 1 collapse two nights back.
“When you own the throne and there’s someone who’s out to take it, you will get mad. For me, it’s nothing personal. I just showed what I’m supposed to contribute aside from my focus in the game and that I won’t back down to anyone on the floor.”‘
Santos, though, gave credit to the Hotshots for shaking the Beermen to their core after that 102-104 defeat because it equipped San Miguel better in Game 2.
This time, when it saw its a 21-point advantage dwindle down to as low as seven, 75-68, at the 8:26 mark of the fourth period, San Miguel knew what to do to weather the late rally from Magnolia.
“What happened in Game 1 happened again today, when our lead was cut down. But it’s a good thing that we were able to catch up there.”
But Santos knows that any sort of Magnolia comeback is a cause of concern which is what the Beermen will work on during the Holy Week.
.”It’s not good for us to play that way. Experience-wise, and we’ve already won a lot of championships, we shouldn’t play like that. When we’re leading, we should be able to preserve it until the end.”
That’s why the 2013 PBA MVP is welcoming the week-long break with open arms as San Miguel eyes a better showing come Game 3 on Easter Sunday.
“We’ll fix everything in practice. The good thing here is we have the time. Both teams can rest.”