With the game undecided until the final possession, the Mahindra Enforcers shocked the defending Governor’s cup champs, San Miguel Beermen, in another thrilling match of the tournament, 105-103, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Wednesday afternoon.
Behind 34 points and 11 rebounds from import James White, Mahindra were able to avert a late-game collapse against heavyweight SMB.
After the game, however, White viewed this win as a stepping stone for the bigger picture that’s ahead.
“It’s just a blessing and I’m really grateful for my teammates. They give me confidence. We didn’t look through this game like an upset. They’re a great team but if we can execute, we can come up on top here. (The) regular season doesn’t mean anything until we make it to the playoffs.” he said.
The Enforcers lost a seemingly comfortable 10-point lead with six minutes left in regulation. The Beermen came up with a late-game scare that pushed them to a 98-97 lead. After a series of lead changes, Paolo Taha converted on an and-one fast break attack. SMB then failed to respond with a miss from June Mar Fajardo.
San Miguel came up with a crucial stop, as Alex Cabagnot played the passing lane that led to a steal. The team opted not to call a timeout as the ball went through the hands of AZ Reid, who was shooting lights out for the entire game. Fortunately for the Enforcers, they sealed their 3-0 start to the tournament with a muffed three-pointer from Reid.
“There’s a reason why they (San Miguel) are the defending champs. But I want to extend this win to my guys. We’re approaching everything like it’s a playoff game so we always come up with a do-or-die mentality.” said deputy head coach Chris Gavina, who led this team to the best start in franchise history.
The Enforcers bullied their way and outplayed the Beermen from the post, 62-44. Despite getting out-rebounded by the San Miguel, 51-44, Mahindra’s defense forced the defending champs to 23 miscues that led to 29 points on their end.
White had help from locals like KG Canaleta, who tallied 17 points and 12 coming from Taha. Reid finished with 43 points for the Beermen, along with 11 rebounds and seven turnovers. Alex Cabagnot chipped in 15 markers and five dimes.
Mahindra (3-0) look to continue their dominating start to the Governor’s Cup with a showdown against the Alaska Aces (1-1), while the San Miguel Beermen (2-1) look to bounce back from this defeat against the Star Hotshots (1-2) on Sunday. The games will be played at the Big Dome.
The scores:
Mahindra (105) – White 34, Canaleta 17, Taha 12, Agovida 10, Ramos 9, Revilla 8, Pinto 6, Yee 3, Mashaddy 2, Guinto 2, Jaime 2, Digregorio 0, Aguilar 0, Ballesteros 0
San MIguel (103) – Reid 43, Cabagnot 15, Fajardo 13, Arana 11, Lassiter 10, Reyes 4, Tubid 3, Ross 2, Mabulac 2, Heruela 0, David 0, De Ocampo 0
Quarterscores: 28-27, 48-48, 81-74, 105-103
*Photo by PBA Images
