PBA: Boatwright drops 41 points in return as San Miguel escapes NLEX

ANTIPOLO, April 20 ------ Bennie Boatwright made a statement in his return for the San Miguel Beermen, powering them past the NLEX Road Warriors, 98-94, in the PBA Season 50 Commissioner's Cup at the Ynares Center Antipolo.

The Road Warriors were in the driver's seat early in the game, before Boatwright sparked the offense for the Beermen. In the first quarter, the returning import scored 15 points on 5-of-11 shooting. The San Miguel import dropped 25 markers in the first half, putting his team within two at the half, 52-50.

The Beermen went on a 14-0 run, capped off by back-to-back four-pointers by Boatwright. NLEX import Cady Lalanne led the comeback of the Road Warriors in the final frame, putting them within two points with a powerful slam, 87-85. With 3:37 to go, Lalanne drained a crucial triple to tie things at 89-all before putting the Road Warriors ahead at 94-92.

Boatwright sank two free throws to put San Miguel ahead and a two-handed slam to put them back in the driver's seat, 96-94. CJ Perez nailed the dagger for San Miguel with a layup in the dying seconds after struggling in the game. Boatwright tallied a double-double of 41 points and 11 rebounds in his return for the Beermen.

Perez finished with 13 markers and nine rebounds, officially making him part of the 5,000 point club in the PBA. "Talagang makikita natin ang difference ni [Bennie] Boatwright eh. And a big impact siya sa team eh. At the same time, Boatwright is really comfortable with the team eh. There's no major adjustment on his part. You see the way he played parang last year pa siya naglalaro sa amin eh," San Miguel head coach Leo Austria said during the post-game press conference.

Boatwright was glad to be reunited with San Miguel, while getting the win in his first game back in the PBA. "It's good to be back home. I appreciate Coach [Leo] and everybody bringing me back in, to be San Miguel's import. I'm just excited to keep playing with the guys," he said. Boatwright said he did not have trouble adjusting in his return to the Beermen. "It's seamless [the transition]. First practice with the guys, it felt like I never left. It felt like I was home. Coach did a good job teaching me the plays early so I have an understanding of it," he shared.

NLEX import Lalanne had 35 points and 11 boards while Winston added 20 markers in the loss. With the victory, San Miguel improves to a 4-4 record, while NLEX drops to 6-2.

Source: news.abs-cbn.com