Photo by Tristan Tamayo/ INQUIRER.net
It’s no secret that San Miguel has relied heavily on its talented starting five to build a dynasty the last half a decade, but on Sunday, the Beermen banked on the other guys for a change.
Guys like Brian Heruela, Gabby Espinas, and Matt Ganuelas-Rosser came up big in San Miguel’s 111-87 Game 3 victory over Magnolia in the 2018 PBA Philippine Cup Finals as the trio accounted for the bulk of the Beermen’s surprising 33 bench points.
Heruela finished with 11 points and two rebounds and Espinas wound up with nine markers, two boards, and two dimes. Ganuelas-Rosser, meanwhile, did his damage on the defensive end to go with his five points and six rebounds.
For the reserves, it was all a matter of keeping up the energy of the first unit.
“We’re just trying to bring the energy up, the intensity to give our first group of guys a good rest,” said Heruela. “That’s the most important thing for us defensively, we have to make stops and execute. Coach has been preaching that over and over again, we have to make stops and then execute our plays to give ourselves a chance.”
San Miguel’s bench players acknowledge coach Leo Austria’s penchant for a short rotation. That’s why the key for them is staying on top of their game and being ready when their number gets called.
“As one of the veterans, you have to be prepared for these kinds of games. This game, you’ll be pulled and then the next game, you won’t play. So the mindset should always be ready,” said Espinas.
“We’re trying to contribute whichever way we can on the floor. Good thing we were able to execute, put some points on the board and contribute to our team,” said Heruela.
At the end of the day, though, the Beermen will always look to their starters to give them the boost in tight situations, but with the reserves know in what way they can make an impact in their bid for a fourth-straight all-Filipino championship.
“If the second group plays that well again, we can give June Mar (Fajardo) the rest he needs so that he can be fresh for our next games,” said Espinas.
“From my perspective, whatever minute we can give so that they can rest, we want to give that to them. We have a really strong first group, and for us in the second unit, we’re just trying to contain and even surpass the energy of our opponent, to give our guys a good rest and give ourselves a chance to make a good run and put ourselves in a good position to win,” said Heruela.