San Miguel from start to finish, now up 2-1

source: PBA.ph

Going back to their old ways, the San Miguel Beermen moved back on top in their Final Four duel with the Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants.

The Beermen restored order in their game after a floundering performance Friday, smothering the Giants, 88-76, for a 2-1 lead in their KFC PBA Philippine Cup best-of-seven semifinals series at the Araneta Coliseum Sunday.

“The main thing was the effort we put in. We went back to basics. Bumalik kami sa depensa na nagpapanalo sa amin sa elimination round. We’re more committed on defense in this game than the last time,” said San Miguel coach Siot Tanquingcen. “In Game Four, we intend to stay in business. We’ve learned our lesson (in Game Two). We must not commit the same mistake again,” Tanquingcen added. “One glaring stats for today’s game was our inability to score. That’s basically the story of the game,” said Purefoods coach Ryan Gregorio.

“We’re taking a rest tomorrow (Monday). I told the boys to return with their legs ready Tuesday and be ready for the war Wednesday,” Gregorio added. Truly, the Beermen employed an efficient defense after being torched by the Giants with their hot shooting in Game Two. Jay Washington, Dondon Hontiveros, Arwind Santos, Jonas Villanueva and Mike Cortez delivered offensively while practically the whole team worked well on the defensive end.

The Beermen limited the Giants to two triples out of 23 tries and held to 36 percent field-goal shooting overall. James Yap was 0-of-6, Paul Artadi 0-of-5, Kerby Raymundo and Roger Yap both 0-of-3 while Rico Maierhofer and PJ Simon both 0-of-1 from the three-point area.

Nino Canaleta was the only Giant to score from the trifecta land, making two of four attempts. “If we can’t shoot from the outside, San Miguel will clog the lane, forcing us to low-percentage shots,” said Gregorio. “Partly, our weariness manifested again. We didn’t have the usual lift from beyond the three-point area.”

With a good job on both ends, San Miguel established control early and led by as many as 17 in the third quarter before holding off a Purefoods rally at endgame. Villanueva and Cortez led the Beermen in closing out the game with eight points each in the final quarter.

Washington, Hontiveros, Santos, Mick Pennisi and Denok Miranda got the Beermen to a strong start, taking the first quarter at 24-12. The Giants drew within six, 34-40, at halftime before the Beermen buckled down to work again, breaking away at 74-57. (SB)

The scores:

San Miguel 88 - Hontiveros 15, Washington 15, Santos 13, Villanueva 10, Cortez 10, Pena 9, Pennisi 8, Miranda 4, Ildefonso 4, Racela 0, Seigle 0.

Purefoods 76 - Yap J. 14, Canaleta 14, Raymundo 11, Yap R. 11, Reavis 8, Maierhofer 6, Simon 4, Allado 4, Artadi 2, Pingris 2, Timberlake 0, Salvador 0.

Quarterscores: 24-12, 40-34, 67-55, 88-76