Beermen extend series with Game 3 escape
Beermen extend series with a 101-98 victory over Barangay Ginebra, surviving a late Gin Kings rally Tuesday at the City of Dasmarinas Arena in Cavite. San Miguel had trailed 0-2 in the best-of-five quarterfinal and led by 15 in the third quarter before its advantage shrank to one with about a minute left.
Ginebra had a final-second chance, but RJ Abarrientos' four-point attempt did not connect, according to the report. June Mar Fajardo finished with 18 points and 13 rebounds for San Miguel. With the win, the Beermen extend series to Friday's Game 4 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Beermen extend series as defense limits Ginebra
San Miguel held Ginebra to 98 points after allowing 104 in Game 1 and 126 in Game 2, per the report. The Beermen nearly let a 15-point third-quarter lead slip before closing out the win.
Coach Leo Austria said the defensive energy was evident and pointed to the players' demeanor in the dugout. "It's very evident that our defense was there. The energy and effort we can see. The most crucial thing, what I observed from the players in the dugout, they were all quiet. You can see it in their eyes, the fire was there. Everybody was on the same page," he said.
Austria added that the players responded to the pressure. "Everybody understands each other and that's one thing. I'm so thankful because the players really responded. They know our back is against the wall and we don't want to have an early exit," he said.
Fajardo said the team stepped up with elimination looming. "We really stepped up in this game. We knew that if we lost, we'd be on vacation. We don't want that yet," he said.
He added that San Miguel could not relax against Ginebra even with a big lead. "We want to extend the series. We know that against Ginebra, even if our lead is big, you really can't be complacent against Ginebra. That team is very strong. Good thing we got this win," he said.
Game 4 set for Smart Araneta
Game 4 is Friday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City. Fajardo said the Beermen will try to raise their level again and prepare hard. "If we can raise the level of how we played today, we'll do it. For sure, Ginebra will do everything to close the series. But we'll also do everything to extend it. We'll prepare hard for Game 4," he said.
Austria said he hopes the effort carries over. "I hope that what we started today, we can sustain until the next game. Good thing the players really… the sense of urgency I mentioned earlier, I saw it in all of them. They don't want to lose. That's something for the team. Wanting to win," he said.
The original report is from philstar.com.
