San Miguel Beermen’s CJ Perez in Game 4 of the PBA Finals. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines–Despite winning the 2024 PBA Commissioner’s Cup Best Player of the Conference award, CJ Perez wasn’t all smiles as he exited the Araneta Coliseum on Friday.
He may have gone home with the individual accolade but the Game 4 win went Magnolia’s way as the best-of-seven series reached a deadlock at 2-2.
So instead of being entirely happy, Perez lamented the shortcomings of the Beermen in a game where they could have gone home with a dominant 3-1 lead.
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“We need to adjust on offense. Our shots weren’t going in, we struggled and we really need to fix that,” said Perez in Filipino after their 96-85 loss at the hands of the Hotshots.
“We didn’t really change much in our system, it was same same but my defense earlier needed some adjusting. My defense isn’t as fast-paced like the other team so adjustments are really needed.”
For the second game in a row, San Miguel was held to under 90 points, a dangerous game that coach Chito Victolero loves playing.
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And boy, did it do wonders again for Magnolia.
The Beermen, who have made a reputation for gunning down the opposition with huge outside shots, got hounded by the Hotshots. Out of 37 shots, San Miguel only sank eight from beyond the arc for a lowly 21 percent shooting clip.
Import Bennie Boatwright was also a victim of San Miguel’s shooting woes, pouring just 16 points in the defeat after only five made field goals. Boatwright averages 33.8 points per night.
Perez, meanwhile, had a commendable game despite the loss, showing why he’s the recipient of the BPC award with 17 points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals.
But according to the Lyceum product, his performance doesn’t guarantee the “hundred percent effort” that he’s looking for with his fellow Beermen.
“We just need to give our hundred percent. That’s really where we lose, with our energy, effort and 50-50 balls.”
Sunday will be important for both squads with the winner taking home the advantageous 3-2 series lead.