Santos’ ‘hand of God’ paves way for San Miguel title win

Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.NET

San Miguel’s legacy has been defined in such a ceremonious way that it was almost God who predetermined the fate.

The Beermen won an unprecedented fourth straight Philippine Cup after surviving the Magnolia Hotshots in double overtime, but it wouldn’t have ended that way had Arwind Santos not made a clutch triple that he dubbed as “the hand of God.”

“That’s the hand of God,” said Santos in Filipino after San Miguel took the 108-99 victory Friday night at Mall of Asia Arena.

“I was fatigued but the will really pushed me. I kept telling myself ‘no, we won’t lose.’”

Santos’ triple tied the game at 86 with 18.7 seconds left in regulation paving the way for more of San Miguel’s late-game heroics.

After a 94-94 stalemate at the end of the first overtime, the Beermen broke loose in the second extra session, outscoring the Hotshots, 14-5, to make their case as the best All-Filipino team in PBA history.

San Miguel distanced itself from the Magnolia franchise with the most Philippine Cup titles with eight, two more than the Hotshots.

“This is our legacy because you won’t find anything more from this team,” said Santos, who put up 23 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists in the title-clinching game. “Us captains, I, Chris Ross, and Alex [Cabagnot] we want to make history and solidify our legacy.”

“And we want you guys, the media, and the people outside the team to proclaim us as the best all-Filipino team. It won’t come from us, it would come from you.”