Finals slot in sight

Already flashing a defense that was both unflinching and unforgiving, San Miguel Beer got a huge boost in the third quarter when its offense began humming.

And the Beermen, on the heels of a 114-91 semifinal rout of the Phoenix Fuel Masters in Game 4 late Tuesday night, are now on the verge of a Finals berth in the PBA Philippine Cup.

“Finally, we had a good start. And that’s what we really needed to dictate the game,” coach Leo Austria said after a late burst in the first quarter gave the Beermen the early lead at Cuneta Astrodome.

But the Beermen really put the game away in the third, when offseason acquisition Terrence Romeo waxed hot and helped his team cruise—leading by as many as 30—on the way to a 3-1 series lead.

Romeo, who finished with 20 to lead the Beermen, drilled five of his six looks from deep in the third to deflate Phoenix in a game which turned physical several times.

Romeo dropped 17 of his total in the third period alone.

“I think that was the turning point. He was, at the right time, at the right place,” Austria said of his ward. “He was the main man tonight.”

The Beermen can finish off the Fuel Masters on Thursday in Game 5, an opportunity that Austria targeted going into Tuesday’s match.

“Game 4 was very important. We didn’t want to go into a 50-50 situation. I think we’ve learned a lot from our quarterfinals experience,” Austria said.

“Whatever they threw at us, we were ready,” Austria said. “Everyone wanted to win so badly.”

The physicality of the match hit Phoenix hard, as the Fuel Masters lost two players—Alex Mallari and Jaypee Mendoza—to ejections.

Calvin Abueva finished with 19 points and 15 rebounds for the Fuel Masters, but he was the only player in double figures for his squad, which gave up 100 points for the first time this conference.

A lot of that had to do with the Beermen finding their range, with five players finishing in double figures—and that doesn’t even include June Mar Fajardo, the reigning five-time MVP who played limited minutes and finished with just nine points.

The Beermen also kept Marcio Lassiter’s minutes at the minimum after the gunner missed Game 3 due to a sore back.

San Miguel’s defense also bared its teeth, with the Beermen holding the Fuel Masters to just 35 percent shooting from the field. With Matt Ganuelas-Rosser in the lead, the Beermen also held Phoenix gunner Matthew Wright to just six points on 3-of-14 shooting.