MANILA, Philippines – No leads are safe against Magnolia.
Having learned that lesson, San Miguel shoots for a 2-0 lead in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup finals as it looks to reassert its mastery over the Hotshots at the Mall of Asia Arena on Sunday, February 4.
The Beermen drew first blood in the best-of-seven series, but not without a scare after nearly blowing a 20-point advantage in a 103-95 win in Game 1.
“When you relax against Magnolia, they’re just going to take advantage of it,” said San Miguel head coach Jorge Gallent.
“It is their pressure defense. They’re trying to disrupt our offense and we just cannot settle.”
Except for their 4th-quarter collapse, the Beermen controlled Game 1 on the back of their vaunted offense, with five players scoring in double figures.
Import Bennie Boatwright finished with 28 points, 16 rebounds, and 2 blocks, CJ Perez and Marcio Lassiter scored 19 and 16 points, respectively, while June Mar shone with 11 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 blocks.
Don Trollano chipped in 10 points as San Miguel nabbed its 10th straight win.
The Hotshots, meanwhile, only had two players in double-figure scoring – Tyler Bey (26 points) and Mark Barroca (16 points) – as they failed to contain the Beermen defensively.
But Magnolia head coach Chito Victolero has faith in his wards.
“We’re still positive – this is a series, not a do-or-die game. So, we’ll just try to apply adjustments and look at our mistakes,” said Victolero.
Game time is 6:15 pm. – Rappler.com