THE San Miguel Beermen defeated the Magnolia Chicken Timplados 103-95 in Game 1 of the PBA 48th Season’s Commissioner’s Cup on Friday at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
The Beermen were up 11-4 when Magnolia made a 10-0 run, leaving San Miguel scoreless for nearly 3 minutes. This allowed the Hotshots to finish the quarter with a four-point lead, 24-20.
However, San Miguel, driven by import Bennie Boatwright and Marcio Lassiter, finished the second period with three consecutive three-pointers, capping a 41-point second quarter that gave the Beermen a 61-44 halftime lead.
At the start of the fourth quarter, San Miguel’s lead had grown to as much as 20, giving them a very comfortable seat as the clear runaway winners of game one of the finals. Magnolia, on the other hand, still had some fighting ability.
The Hotshots staged a dramatic comeback, dropping the game’s largest advantage to just five points with less than a minute remaining in the fourth quarter. The Beermen were able to escape thanks to free throws from CJ Perez and June Mar Fajardo.
In a postgame interview, San Miguel head coach Jorge Gallent emphasized that the Beermen cannot play easy basketball until the final buzzer rings when facing a squad like Magnolia.
“When you play a tough team like Magnolia, you will have to play 48 minutes. if you don’t, this is what’s going to happen,” said Gallent, emphasizing the importance of his team’s full effort.
“It’s just good we didn’t panic. That’s the main thing. The players were composed. They know how to win. Lucky for me,” he added.
Boatwright led the Beermen with 28 points, 16 rebounds, and two blocks. Perez delivered another strong performance with 19 points and three steals that allowed him to receive the Best Player of the Game honors.
“Hindi namin pwedeng i-underestimate ‘yung mga best players nila, mga player din ‘yun mga marurunong talaga maglaro ‘yung mga ‘yun, and binigay din talaga nila ‘yung effort nila kanina,” Perez said.
Lassiter also had a strong shooting night, finishing with 16 points on 4-of-5 from behind the rainbow country. June Mar Fajardo, the seven-time MVP, added 11 points, 11 rebounds, and two blocks for San Miguel.
Tyler Bey, on the other hand, finished with 26 points and 15 rebounds, while veteran Mark Barroca added 16 points, but Magnolia lacked the offensive presence of Jio Jalalon and Paul Lee, who combined for just 14 points.
In addition to his eight points, Jalalon had 11 rebounds and 12 assists. Calvin Abueva, known as the Beast, did not have a particularly impressive night, scoring only six points on 2-of-10 shots.
The San Miguel Beerman will seek to take a 2-0 series lead into Game 2 on Sunday at the same location, while the Hotshots will try to even the series.
