Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.NET
San Miguel has undoubtedly proven itself as the premier franchise in the PBA.
Throughout their campaign, the Beermen have won 25 titles including a Grand Slam in 1989.
And on Friday, the league’s most storied team achieved a feat no other team in the PBA has done with four straight Philippine Cup championships.
San Miguel overcame Magnolia, 108-99, in double overtime in Game 5 to put itself in the record books and make its case as one of the best teams ever in league history.
“We want to be labeled as the paradigm of Philippine basketball,” boldly declared point guard Alex Cabagnot after the Beermen erase a 23-point deficit, 71-48, in the third quarter.
“Other than the trophy, other than the financial bonuses that we get, more than anything else, what we have is pride. We got a lot of heart in that team and there are many individuals who won’t back down.”
And that pride allowed San Miguel to come back and outscore the Hotshots, 14-5, in the final five minutes of the game.
Cabagnot had a meager line of seven points, eight rebounds, three assists, and two steals with his defensive gem sealing the victory.
After Magnolia center Rafi Reavis grabbed hold of the rebound, and dribbled a couple of times before passing it to teammate Paul Lee, Cabagnot pounced on the opportunity to swipe and go immediately for a layup that gave San Miguel a 105-99 lead with 51 seconds left.
“Nothing good comes easy, to be part of history, we have to go through some adversity,” said Cabagnot, who won his seventh title. “We established our status quo, and we came out with the win.”