SMB Takes Game 3 for 2-1 Lead

Article from PBA.PH

SAN Miguel Beer was quick to get back what it lacked the last time out and regained the momentum it so direly needed.

Displaying a defensive intensity for majority of the game, the Beermen fashioned a 100-88 victory over the Burger King Whoppers Sunday night to forge ahead in their Motolite PBA Fiesta Conference semifinals series at the Araneta Coliseum.

Gabe Freeman had 35 points and 16 rebounds to lead a balanced SMB offensive, but coach Siot Tanquingcen cited more his team's efforts on the other end of the court as key to their rebound from a 113-116 loss in Game Two and a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven duel.

“Playoff basketball evolves around defense and that's what we lost track of in the second game,” said Tanquingcen. “Tonight we made sure aggressive kami defensively.”

Despite its field shooting woes and an early 22-point deficit, however, Burger King nearly stole the game, grittily fighting back to within 77-82, still 5:28 left in the game.

But SMB's offense was running in all cylinders by then and Freeman led the team home by scoring six of his 12 fourth quarter points during a break from an 89-83 count and into a very safe 95-83 count, only under a minute left.

Burger coach Yeng Guiao himself helped fuel that surge by vehemently complaining a blocking foul by Shawn Daniels against a driving Freeman that led to the latter following up a three-point play with a technical free throw.

Arwind Santos led Burger King with 22 points along seven rebounds while Shawn Daniels only had eight points but made up for his dearth in scoring by pulling down 18 rebounds and issuing nine assists.

Gary David, usually good for 17 points, was held scoreless in 12 minutes of play and was not utilized at all for majority of the second half. It was the first time in 63 games David went without a point and typified the team's struggles.

In all, Burger King shot only 29-of-81 from the field to SMB's 34-of-76.

Tanquingcen shrugged off those and the game's more physical sideshows, maintaining his team's task is clearly cut.

“Our challenge is to go against the grain of human nature,” he said, implying his team's 102-87 win in the series opener actually worked against them.

“Following a big win like that, you tend to relax in defense,” he explained. “The players must bear in mind that whether the game is close or a blowout, you have to stay the course on defense.”

Freeman and Jonas Villanueva each had 13 points in the first half and Olsen Racela nine second quarter points as SMB raced to two 22-point leads, the last at 55-33, before settling for a 55-35 halftime count.

Defense started playing a major factor for the Beermen early as they held BK to just 12-of-42 shooting from the field, including just 3-of-18 and a total of only 14 points in the second quarter.

Unable to have any luck in penetrations, the Whoppers tried going long distance but fared miserably there either, shooting 1-of-17, including 0-of-9 in the second canto.

The already physical tone of the series, which has BK's Erick Rodriguez suspended for a flagrant foul-Penalty 2 on Freeman in Game Two, took another turn for the bloody when SMB's Wesley Gonzales suffered a bloody forehead due to an inadvertent elbow by Mark Yee at the 9:39 mark of the second period.

Yee was called for an F1, but Gonzales was meted the heavier technical foul for poking his fingers at Yee's neck after realizing he was cut.

That incident did little to detract SMB from its purpose as it unleashed a 10-0 run that gave it its first 22-point lead at 53-31. Jay Washington had a layup and two of the Beermen's eight charities in that almost four-minute span. (NCo)

The scores:

San Miguel Beer 100 - Freeman 35, Villanueva 15, Racela 12, Washington 8, Pennisi 7, Custodio 6, Hontiveros 6, Gonzales 4, Ildefonso 4, Calaguio 2, Pena 1, Cortez 0.

Burger King 88 - Santos 22, Quinahan 11, Billones 10, Aban 8, Daniels 8, Yee 7, Belga 7, Arboleda 7, Cruz 4, Sharma 4, David 0.

Quarterscores: 30-21, 55-35, 74-63, 100-88.