Going ahead

Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

Facing a determined enemy in battle where where neither side is willing to budge an inch, San Miguel looks to swing the pendulum to its favor when the Beermen and the Magnolia Hotshots break their PBA Philippine Cup Finals series stalemate on Friday night at Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.

Coach Leo Austria made it clear on Wednesday that his squad wants to end the battle before Monday’s midterm elections, but the Beermen coach knows that won’t be easy.

“We’re hoping to finish [the series] if we’re fortunate,” he told reporters after scoring a dominant 114-98 win in Game 4 that tied the series at 2-2. “But you never what will happen in the next two games.”

“We all know Magnolia is a tough team to beat and they won’t go down quietly because they know that there’s an opportunity out there for them,” he added. “This, after all, is the all-Filipino—the most prestigious conference of the season. We know they’ll work really, really hard.”

“It’s going to be exciting,” Austria said.

San Miguel veteran Arwind Santos was a little bolder.

“Of course you can no longer tie it this time around,” he said in Filipino. “One team will take the lead. And it’s likely going to be us.”

Santos added that there was tangible resolve in each of his teammates during the postgame huddle in dugout: “We’re all eager to get that lead. We’ve never done it this series, I hope we could in Game 5.”

The race-to-four has been in a seesaw pace so far. San Miguel, the four-time champions, absorbed a 99-94 loss in the opener and then bounced back with a collective performance in the next meeting. Magnolia took Game by 3 playing their signature stingy defense before the Beermen clapped back with a dominating show by their cornerstone, June Mar Fajardo.

The 6-foot-10 behemoth scored 31 points and pulled down 14 rebounds on a night that also served as his coronation as Best Player of the Conference.

“We just did the best we could. Especially June Mar,” Santos said.