Don Trollano refused to lose in his return as he towed San Miguel past Magnolia, 94-92, to extend their winning streak to four games in the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup, Friday night at the Ynares Center II in Montalban.
In action again after sitting out versus Converge last Sunday due to a back injury, the seasoned wing finished with 29 points. And none were bigger than the four he sank to put the team ahead for good, 91-88, with 53.5 seconds left.
Free throws by June Mar Fajardo and CJ Perez then kept their foes at bay. A crucial stop by Marcio Lassiter on Paul Lee in the final seconds was enough for the Beermen to escape and continue their turnaround after a 0-2 start.
Trollano, the reigning PBA Press Corps Mr. Quality Minutes, shot an efficient 11-of-16 from the floor, including a combined 4-of-8 clip from the arcs. He also hauled down six rebounds in just 19 minutes and 21 seconds of action.
(C) PBA Images
“That four points, hindi na ako nagtataka. Dahil during practice namin, he keeps on taking the four-point shot,” said head coach Leo Austria.
Perez finished with 20 points for San Miguel as he, too, got saved by luck. His 0-for-2 trip to the line with 6.1 seconds to spare kept the door open for the Hotshots to steal the game, with the ball in Lee’s possession.
Fortunately for the entire crew, Lassiter stayed in front of the star gunner, denying him any chance. That forced Lee to pass to Jerom Lastimosa, who didn’t have enough time to shoot properly from 27 feet out as time expired.
June Mar Fajardo had 18 points and nine rebounds as he and Perez overcame a bad shooting night from the free throw line. The duo shot a combined 10-of-21, accounting for the majority of SMB’s 29 misses from the said spot.
Juami Tiongson chipped in 10 markers for the Beermen, who have joined NLEX and Magnolia at third in the standings as they all carry 4-2 records.
San Miguel will look to create more separation from those two when it takes on Titan Ultra next on Wednesday, November 12, still in Montalban.
(C) PBA Images
Zav Lucero, on the other hand, led Magnolia with 20 points and 14 rebounds plus four blocks in the narrow defeat. Lastimosa did a little bit of everything with 17 points, on top of five rebounds, six rebounds, and a pair of steals.
Chris Koon had 16 points, including the big four-pointer to inch themselves within two with 6.6 seconds left to play, while Ian Sangalang added 15.
Sangalang pushed the Hotshots’ lead to 88-84 with 1:28 to go, but Trollano took over after with a personal 7-0 run that put SMB ahead for good.
Magnolia will have an opportunity to bounce back quickly as it returns to action this Sunday against the surging TNT (5-1) in Montalban as well.
The Scores:
San Miguel 94 – Trollano 29, Perez 20, Fajardo 18, Tiongson 10, Lassiter 8, Cahilig 3, Cruz 2, Ross 2, Brondial 2, Tautuaa 0, Rosales 0
Magnolia 92 – Lucero 20, Lastimosa 17, Koon 16, Sanagalang 15, Laput 5, Lee 5, Barroca 4, Alfaro 3, Gomez de Liano 3, Dela Rosa 2, Verano 2, Escoto 0
Quarterscores: 25-17, 51-40, 69-70, 94-92.
