San Miguel passed its very first test of the PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup by completing a come-from-behind victory over the upset-seeking Phoenix, 107-104, in a Tuesday night thriller at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
Marcio Lassiter caught Juami Tiongson’s inbound pass and nailed the go-ahead jumper with 2.3 seconds to go, before June Mar Fajardo came through with the big stop on the other end by deflecting the entry pass for Donovan Smith.
Simon Enciso would go on to ice the game by sinking both of his free throws with seven-tenths of a second left as the veterans’ key plays down the stretch also saved the new guys’ efforts in chipping away the 87-71 deficit.
(C) PBA Images
Andreas Cahilig drilled four — three in consecutive fashion — while Tiongson swished one of the Beermen’s seven treys in the comeback trail as the former Terrafirma duo made a good account of themselves in their Beermen debut.
CJ Perez top-scored for San Miguel with 18 points. Lassiter produced 15 points, while Quincy Miller added 14 points and 10 rebounds.
Miller is serving as the team’s import for the 2024-25 EASL season but may have to fulfill double duties until Coach Jorge Gallent and Co. find their guy after first choice Troy Baxter Jr. was not released by his ball club in China.
His numbers may be far from what he’s done with Converge some two years ago but the former NBA veteran was key in the endgame, for he provided the screen that freed up Lassiter on the left baseline for the lead.
Don Trollano also delivered 14 points while Cahilig added 12 points for SMB, who will face NLEX next on Sunday, December 8, at the Ynares Center.
Leading Phoenix, meanwhile, was Smith as he finished with 37 points and 15 rebounds, along with four assists and two blocks, in the loss.
Tyler Tio tallied a career second-best 23 points, five rebounds, and six assists, while Jason Perkins chipped in 21 points and six rebounds.
The Fuel Masters fell to 0-3, indeed a tough predicament to be in approaching their duel against Barangay Ginebra on December 13 still at the NAS.
The Scores:
San Miguel 107 – Perez 18, Lassiter 15, Miller 14, Trollano 14, Cahilig 12, Cruz 8, Tiongson 8, Fajardo 8, Enciso 5, Ross 3, Brondial 2, Tautuaa 0.
Phoenix 104 – Smith 37, Tio 23, Perkins 21, Tuffin 7, Jazul 4, Rivero 4, Garcia 3, Manganti 3, Ballungay 2, Ular 0, Camacho 0, Verano 0, Alejandro 0.
Quarterscores: 28-29, 54-49, 71-80, 107-104.
