Despite 2-1 lead, San Miguel wary of Ginebra comeback
It’s only been two games, but with the looks of things San Miguel is playing its best basketball in recent memory.
The Beermen are the first team in almost three decades to score at least 132 points in two consecutive regulation games in the PBA Finals.
San Miguel has beaten Ginebra by an average of 31.5 points in games two and three but that winning margin means nothing to the Beermen until they finally hold the Commissioner’s Cup for a second straight year.
READ: Tim Cone left ’embarrassed’ by Ginebra’s 38-point loss to San Miguel
June Mar Fajardo, already at the top tier of the PBA’s greatest players having won four straight MVPs, said they can’t let their guard down against the Gin Kings despite holding a 2-1 series lead.
“We know how strong Ginebra is, we got blown out in Game 1 and we know the Gin Kings are capable of doing it again,” said Fajardo in Filipino after Game 3 Wednesday at Smart Araneta Coliseum. “On our part, we can’t allow that to happen again and I think we learned our lesson after that.”
Fajardo, who had 22 points and 15 boards, was talking about the shock loss they got in Game 1 when they got humiliated, 127-99.
READ: PBA Finals: San Miguel clobbers Ginebra by 38 points for 2-1 lead
Shooting guard Marcio Lassiter had a similar take to Fajardo’s sentiments saying that the Beermen can’t rest on their laurels until they’ve finished off the series and claim the franchise’s 26th title.
“I’m proud that we’re up 2-1 but at the end of the day we haven’t won the championship and we still need two more wins,” said Lassiter who finished with 12 points and nine assists. “We’re not going to celebrate right now and we want to get two more wins.”
READ: Ginebra dumps San Miguel, draws first blood in PBA Finals
As for 2013 MVP Arwind Santos the only way for the Beermen to replicate their success is to keep doing the things they were good at, and that was to play defense.
For the past two games, the Beermen have averaged 12 steals a game and forced Ginebra to 20 turnovers a game.
“It’s still surprising that we got another blowout win because I expected Ginebra to play harder,” said Santos, who put up 11 points, four rebounds, and four steals, in Filipino. “We just have to get ready, play within our system, and improve on what we’re doing.”
