PBA: San Miguel spoils Ginebra comeback, inches closer to Finals return

MANILA, January 15 ------ The San Miguel Beermen are now just one win away from returning to the PBA Philippine Cup Finals. The Leo Austria–coached squad seized a crucial 3-2 lead in their best-of-seven affair after surviving Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, 115-109, in Game 5 of the Season 50 semifinals at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.

June Mar Fajardo led the Beermen with 21 points and 11 rebounds despite dealing with shoulder issues, giving San Miguel Beer a virtual twice-to-beat advantage. CJ Perez, meanwhile, finished with 20 markers, three boards, and two assists. "That's the effort that we're looking for," said Beermen head coach Leo Austria, whose squad displayed end-game poise despite Ginebra's comeback attempt. "There were a lot of players who stepped up. And we're one away from the Finals, but it will not be easy," he added.

Earlier, after seeing their 17-point lead trimmed to two, 111-109, Fajardo knocked down both of his free throws with eight seconds remaining to extend San Miguel's cushion to four, 113-109. While this still left Ginebra with chances to force overtime, Stephen Holt and RJ Abarrientos committed a crucial miscue, before Marcio Lassiter iced the victory at the foul line with a pair of makes.

San Miguel, which pulled away by as many as 17 points in the second half, also received much-needed contributions from Mo Tautuaa, who posted 18 points and nine rebounds, and Lassiter, who chipped in 16 points on four three-pointers. Don Trollano was likewise solid with 13 points, four rebounds, and two assists, while Chris Ross added nine points, eight assists, and three steals. The Beermen will look to formalize their Finals berth and set up a rematch with the TNT Tropang 5G on Friday at 7:30 p.m., once again at the Big Dome.

For Ginebra, Scottie Thompson continued his strong play with 20 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, and three steals. Abarrientos followed with 18 points, seven dimes, and five boards, while Holt and Japeth Aguilar contributed 17 and 16 markers, respectively. However, the Gin Kings were unable to recover from a costly second-quarter stretch in which they were outscored, 23-33, with Perez scoring 11 of his total points in that period. Adding to Ginebra's woes, Troy Rosario was limited to just one point in 11 minutes before exiting the game early due to groin issues.

The Scores:

San Miguel 115 – Fajardo 21, Perez 20, Tautuaa 18, Lassiter 16, Trollano 13, Ross 9, Cruz 8, Brondial 5, Cahilig 5, Tiongson 0, Rosales 0.

Ginebra 109 – Thompson 20, Abarrientos 18, Holt 17, J.Aguilar 16, Cu 8, Gray 8, David 7, R.Aguilar 6, Torres 5, Pinto 3, Rosario 1.

Quarterscores: 25-26, 58-49, 90-78, 115-109.

Source: news.abs-cbn.com