Chris McCullough didn’t drop 51 this time around, but he still did major damage to Rain or Shine on Friday night.
The Elasto Painters thought they had taken control of Game Four of their PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinal clash versus San Miguel Beermen when they jump to a 94-91 lead with 3:41 left to play. Unfortunately, McCullough spoiled their plans.
The lanky 6-foot-10 forward first drove from the right-wing for a tough runner that kissed off the glass. He then sank a deep three-pointer from the opposite wing to give the Beermen a 96-94 advantage with 2:44 remaining.
Terrence Romeo and Chris Ross did their part on both ends afterwards, and the Beermen went home with the 98-95 win.
San Miguel finished off the Elasto Painters in four games in the best-of-seven series, and will now head to the championship round. There, they will be battling the top-seeded TNT KaTropa in a seven-game series.
“It was definitely tough. They put a lot of different guys on me to try to slow me down. It was a rough and tough game. But we got the stop we needed to finish the game,” said McCullough, who had 35 points, 18 rebounds, and five blocks.
“We got a good win. It was a dogfight and it was tough. We figured it out and got the win.”
Their Finals trip has also vindicated the Beermen’s decision to replace former Best Import Charles Rhodes with the 24-year-old, after they absorbed their fifth loss in seven games during the eliminations.
The best-of-seven championship series will tip-off this Sunday, August 4, still at the Big Dome. The upcoming title bout will be the rematch of the 2017 Commissioner’s Cup Finals, where San Miguel won the crown in six games.
But beyond the clash of the corporate rivals, all eyes are on the match-up between McCullough and Terrence Jones. The TNT import has been nothing short of impressive ever since his very first day in Asia’s pioneering pro league.
McCullough is the younger one between them two former NBA cagers. Still, he’s looking forward to the challenge of facing Jones, who is the heavy favorite to bag the mid-season conference’s Best Import honors.
“Let’s play basketball.”
