Bennie Boatwright (with ball) looks like a perfect fit for the Beermen. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
Bennie Boatwright may be the taller import San Miguel Beer wanted as Ivan Aska’s replacement, but coach Jorge Gallent feels he also brings a different dimension to the team going into the homestretch of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
“The difference about Ivan and Bennie is that Bennie has a three-point shot which makes the floor bigger for everybody,” Gallent said after the Beermen snapped the six-game winning streak of the Phoenix Fuel Masters, 117-96, on Christmas Day.
That result at Smart Araneta Coliseum also extended San Miguel’s own run to three straight which clinched for the team a quarterfinal berth and allowed it to set its sights on the next goal: a twice-to-beat advantage.
READ: PBA: Terrence Romeo says coach, teammates led to late outburst
At 6-3, San Miguel is currently inside the top four, trailing only Magnolia (9-1), Phoenix (7-2) and Meralco (6-2) while slightly ahead of Barangay Ginebra, which was playing TNT at press time trying to improve a 5-3 slate.
Boatwright put up 26 points and 16 rebounds in the victory that secured San Miguel’s place in the quarterfinals in a debut that was long overdue after dealing with flu upon arriving in Manila a few weeks ago.
The 6-foot-9 big man was brought in by San Miguel in lieu of Aska in an attempt to fill up the absence of June Mar Fajardo, who is still out with a fractured hand.
But Boatwright seems to play more on the perimeter than under the basket, as seen in the stat sheet when he even attempted 12 three-pointers, making three of them.
“I think it’s gonna be hard for [opponents] to do what they want [defensively], to chase Bennie, to challenge his shots. Bennie read the situation well today,” said Gallent.
‘My shot will come’
Boatwright earned some rest during the key part of the game, when San Miguel pulled away behind a vintage showing from Terrence Romeo.
Romeo scored 15 of his 23 points in the fourth and engineered a run which saw the Beermen rack up eight straight points after Phoenix led 80-79 at the end of the third on RJ Jazul’s halfcourt heave at the buzzer.
“I really had it in my mind to be aggressive and the shots I took were really my shots. I’m thankful for coach Jorge because even if I couldn’t find my game in the first half, his trust was still there in the second. My teammates also made it easy for us to execute our plays,” said Romeo.
“Coach always tells me that my shot will come. I practice all those and my mentality doesn’t change even when I’m missing. As long as I can put it up, even if there’s a defender in front of me, I think it’s a good shot. As long as it goes in,” he added.
It was the best performance by the former scoring champion since his return from a knee injury that forced him to miss several games of the eliminations.
Phoenix lost for the first time since dropping a mid-November match to Magnolia in Antipolo City. A win would have given the Fuel Masters a possible twice-to-beat and belief that they can compete against the big guns despite low preseason expectations.