Marcio Lassiter finally had the ending he wanted as he towed San Miguel past TNT, 98-96, to tie their Honda PBA Philippine Cup semifinal series at a game apiece, Wednesday at the DHVSU Gym in Bacolor, Pampanga.
The veteran forward cleaned Arwind Santos’ missed tip-in as time expired, perfectly redeeming himself after failing to win it in Game One last Sunday that saw him get checked by counterpart Roger Pogoy.
That game-winner also completed the Beermen’s epic comeback all the way from a deep 19-point deficit late in the third quarter.
“I’m happy for him dahil na-redeem niya ang sarili niya,” said head coach Leo Austria of the 34-year-old, who finished with seven points and eight rebounds. “We’re not lucky in Game One but today, it’s for Marcio.”
San Miguel, though, wouldn’t be in a position to come out victorious had it not been for the efforts of Terrence Romeo, who poured 15 of his game-high 26 points in the fourth quarter — this, after scoring just two in the first half.
“To tell you honestly, pure heart ito and determination ng mga players. Especially si Terrence, makikita mo kanina nagwala siya sa loob dahil andoon yung focus niya to win the game,” Austria lauded.
“That’s what I want from my players eh. In a crucial situation, lumalabas ‘yan. Maybe it’s because of the experience,” added the champion mentor.
Romeo began his onslaught when he nailed the last eight points of a 9-0 assault that trimmed the deficit to just five, 79-84, with 7:04 remaining.
And when the Tropang Giga were looking to build more separation behind Poy Erram and Troy Rosario, the three-time scoring king spearheaded a 10-3 run to bring his side to within one, 92-93, with 1:22 on the clock.
Bad luck then haunted his former team afterward. Though TNT secured the board after a Mikey Williams miss, Jayson Castro missed his usual lay-up off a drive, and June Mar Fajardo was there to haul it down.
Moments later, Pogoy got called for a foul while defending Lassiter with 23.5 seconds left. Worse, his team was already in the penalty, sending the Fil-Am sniper to the line. He calmly made his shots to finally put SMB ahead, 94-93.
Chris Ross went on to widen San Miguel’s lead to three by sinking his own free throws with 10.6 seconds left, but their rivals managed to tie the game up following Troy Rosario’s trey from the top of the key with 6.4 ticks to go.
The Beermen had June Mar Fajardo as their main option for the final play. He received the inbound near the rim and posted up Rosario for a one-hander, but missed. Santos tried to stick it back in, but missed his target as well.
Luckily, Lassiter was able to secure the rock and kissed it off the glass, leaving their foes stunned as his teammates celebrated the victory.
“Yun yung tinatawag na sense of urgency, because of experience,” said Austria, who’s been the franchise’s chief shot-caller since 2014. “That possession was important and we’re lucky that he converted at the right time.”
Photo by PBA Images
Fajardo made 22 points and 10 rebounds in the win. Alex Cabagnot made 14 points, while Santos added 11 markers and six boards.
“Hindi ko matatawaran ‘yung puso ng mga players,” Austria said. “We were down by 19 points but we kept on fighting. And I told them, ‘Okay lang ‘yan, basta you keep on fighting and let’s see what will happen.'”
Pogoy, meanwhile, led TNT with 21 points in the loss. Poy Erram had 20 points and 10 rebounds, while Rosario and Williams added 14 and 12, respectively.
Game Three of the best-of-seven series between the long-time rivals is set on Friday, October 9, at 6:00 p.m.
The Scores:
San Miguel 98 – Romeo 26, Fajardo 22, Cabagnot 14, Santos 11, Perez 8, Tautuaa 8, Lassiter 7, Ross 2, Pessumal 0.
TNT 96 – Pogoy 21, Erram 20, M. Rosario 14, Williams 12, Marcelo 9, Castro 8, Heruela 5, Montalbo 3, Reyes 2, Khobuntin 2.
Quarterscores: 23-31, 46-53, 62-87, 98-96.
