Beating the Still Perfect Beermen is Possible for NLEX. But…

(Photo by the PBA Media Bureau)

SMB looked like a team that can’t be stopped by a Phenom. Alone

Having the best all-local starting five has its perks for the San Miguel Beermen. After 3 games into the new season, they have already converted those games into 3 wins with the last one being against the Talk N Text KaTropa where they needed to bleed for that win before hanging on for an 88-76 victory. And that game also proved that the Beermen are more than just about their super starting unit which is led by 4-time MVP, June Mar Fajardo.

Against the KaTropa, Brian Heruela and Matt Ganuelas-Rosser, a former TNT player, provided the defensive intensity that held the ground for San Miguel before stars Alex Cabagnot, Arwind Santos and sharpshooter, Marcio Lassiter all returned to the floor and delivered the finishing blows. Rosser had 8 points while Heruela had 5 points- both came off the bench for Coach Leo Austria.

If Leo Austria can lean on his bench players the same way he can lean on his starters, then it’s already a big problem for the NLEX Road Warriors as they happened to be the next team who will try to end the Berman’s winning streak.

To begin with, no one among Yeng Guiao’s boys can actually match-up defensively against the Kraken, Fajardo. Sure, the Road Warriors got Asi Taulava who has been as dominant as Fajardo back in his prime years but Taulava is among the oldest players to hit the court in the history of the league so Yeng Guiao can’t risk letting his big man getting eaten by Fajardo.

Another reason why Yeng Guiao will have a hard time working on his strategies against San Miguel is the fact that his guards will have to defend the dynamic duo of Alex Cabagnot and Chris Ross, two of the league’s best pick-and-roll guards. Sure, Guiao can send his own dynamic duo of Kevin Alas and Kiefer Ravena to match-against the backcourt duo of San Miguel but we all know that even if Kiefer Ravena goes supernova, it’s not enough. Not against a team like the Beermen.

Conclusion

One thing is certain for now: tonight’s main event between the Beermen and the Road Warriors will be a must-see game because we can expect a high-scoring game from two high-scoring teams who have explosive scorers left and right. 

Question: Can NLEX become the first team to beat San Miguel this season? 

Answer: No. 

Why? The Beermen got 5 stars on their starting 5 and a bunch of reliable players- and a good system that has been installed by a winning coach. 

Leethal Weapon is still Lethal: Earns PBA Player of the Week Recognition

(Photo by the PBA Media Bureau)

Paul Lee adds another recognition after leading Magnolia to back-to-back wins

Paul Lee, despite the tons of injuries that hampered his performance in the last several seasons and even made him miss most of the Star Hotshots’, now known as the Magnolia Hotshots, semifinal series against the Meralco Bolts during the previous Governors’ Cup.

Now healthy and free of injury, Paul Lee is ready to lead his Hotshots as they attempt to end their semifinals upsets over the past season. And he is already making noise early on the 43rd season as he was named as the Player of the Week after leading his team to two consecutive wins after dropping their season opener against the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings. 

Just how good was Paul Lee?

Paul Lee, AKA The Angas ng Tondo, averaged 17 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds and, 1.5 blocks in their first two games of the new year. His brilliance started off against the winless, Kia Picanto when he scored all of his 13 points in the pivotal 3rd quarter alone which enabled the Hotshots to run away for good. Then, he took the super rookie, Kiefer Ravena to school as Lee scored 21 points to help Magnolia beat Ravena’s NLEX Road Warriors. 

By taking the recognition, Paul Lee just beat some of the big shots in the league such as 4-time MVP, June Mar Fajardo, Stanley Pringle, Vic Manuel, JP Eram, among others. If he can keep on playing this good, we shouldn’t be surprised if he is to become one of the leading candidates for the Best Player of the Conference award for the All-Filipino conference. 

Conclusion

The Magnolia Hotshots are currently tied with the Gin Kings as both squads have a 3-1 record which is good for second place just behind the unbeaten San Miguel Beermen and one of the reasons why the Hotshots are hot is because of the brilliance of Paul Lee. And like it or not, Paul Lee is more than just about “angas”. 

Greg Slaughter is the Only One who Can Stop the Kraken- Tim Cone

If there’s one Ginebra player who can match-up against Fajardo, it’s Greg Slaughter. (Photo by the PBA Media Bureau)

June Mar Fajardo might be a 4-time MVP but GregZilla got the numbers in his favor.

During the course of the past 4 seasons, June Mar Fajardo has collected 4 MVP awards on top of 5 championships for the San Miguel Beermen which included the first two of the 42nd season. In fact, the Beermen had a chance to achieve a rare Grand Slam if not to the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings who denied the Beermen of that chance upon beating them convincingly during the quarterfinals of last season’s Governors’ Cup.

On the other hand, Fajardo’s fellow Cebuano and long-time rival, Greg Slaughter has recently recovered from the injury which made him miss a ton of the previous two seasons and played a vital role during Ginebra’s championship run in the Governors’ Cup which ended with Ginebra hoisting another Governors’ Cup trophy after a full 7-game slugfest against the Meralco Bolts. To cap his successful stint during the Governors’ Cup, he earned the Best Player of the Conference award, an award that was backed by great performance throughout the closing conference of the league’s 42nd season.

On Christmas Day, Greg Slaughter exploded for 24 points and 12 rebounds, leading Ginebra to a win over the fading Magnolia Hotshots. Fajardo, on the other hand, had 26 points and 9 rebounds on December 27 against the Bolts.

While many coaches think that Fajardo is a virtually unstoppable, playing like an import, one coach thinks otherwise. That coach is none other than Tim Cone who said that Greg Slaughter may be the only player who can match-up with his Cebuano rival due to his height plus his ability to engage in a one-on-one battle against SMB’s star center. And Tim Cone isn’t wrong either. Strength-wise and stat-wise, only Slaughter can match up the numbers that Fajardo is putting up nowadays.

Conclusion

While Fajardo and Slaughter have yet to face each other this season, we can expect that there’ll be a war come the game between the two giants. Who will come out victorious?

Prediction: Greg Slaughter. 

But of course, Fajardo belongs to the league’s best all-local starting line-up so that’s something that Tim Cone will have to work around with. 

Balls-Eye: Will June Mar Fajardo Bag his 5th Straight MVP Award this Season?

As the San Miguel Beermen looks to dominate this year’s Philippine Cup with their geared up twin towers, the Kraken June Mar Fajardo is also eyeing to reign as a 5-time MVP.

But would it still be possible?

Rumors say that Christian Standhardinger empowered the Beermen. But with him being Fajardo’s partner, would he hinder the Kraken’s MVP streak?

Another huge monster to test June Mar’s limits is of course the biggest man in the league Greg Slaughter. Ginebra is a team that can win championships and thus increasing Slaughter’s chance of bagging the MVP award this year.

More or less, the Most Valauable Player Award would be hooked by any of the four towering beasts of the Beer and Gin. It would be an ultimate test of strength, endurance, power and most importantly, consistency.

June Mar apparently is the toughest of the four. Greg has the size but is a bit lousy, Japeth has the boosted jumping power while Standhardinger’s cards remain concealed.

Fajardo already became MVP 4 times with Japeth and Greg’s presence. The only big question mark left unanswered is on his new teammate Standhardinger. Nevertheless, we should not neglect Japeth and Greg’s improvement.

Would the MVP showdown hinder SMB’s success?

Most probably not. Big guys do not tend to frequently work together. Most of the time plays start with the small guys and finishes with the big men. SMB may balance their inside scoring fairly with their two towers. Thus, both would have their own break to prove themselves. It may be a healthy competition as these two guys would go all out just not to waste every single opportunity at hand.

Historical MVP Award

If either June Mar or Christian bags the award, it would be historical no matter who stands out. June Mar would be the first to be crowned with 5 straight MVP’s. In fact he’s the first to have 4 straight. On the other hand, Standhardinger may be the 2nd to Benjie Paras if he would be the MVP and if SMB would be the champ or would gain dominance throughout the season.

A Rocky 2017: Stories that Rocked the PBA in 2017

Ginebra’s championship run during the Governors’ Cup is just one of the many stories that happened this year (Photo by the PBA Media Bureau)

What a year it has been for the PBA.

In case you haven’t been updated as to what happened in the PBA during the past 12 months, well, you’ve missed a lot. From an aborted Grand Slam to a controversial trade, 2017 has been indeed a busy year for the PBA and it has been a controversial year, too.

To help you have a recap of what happened in the league, below are the stories which this pundit on wheels thinks that rocked the entire league the most:

The Standhardinger Saga

Let’s start with one of the biggest stories in local basketball scene this year. Christian Standhardinger’s name has been very much familiar with the Filipino fans owing to his stint with the Gilas Pilipinas. When he announced his intention to join the draft, it had been expected by many that he would be picked ahead of the likes of Kiefer Ravena and Jeron Teng.

Surprise!

First, he missed the Draft Combine. Then, the Kia Picanto traded away the rights to pick first in the draft to the San Miguel Beermen for a bunch of bench players. Many questions were shocked by Kia’s decision with some even questioning if they intend to become a competitive team in the future. Despite questions from almost every direction, Commissioner Chito Narvasa still approved the said deal. Despite the questions, there was nothing illegal in the deal, to begin with. It was a lopsided trade, yes but it’s within the rules and regulations of the league. 

The Chito Narvasa Stand-off

The deal that sent Standhardinger to the Beermen created a rippling effect to the league and among those affected was none other than the good commissioner, Chito Narvasa. Why? He approved the trade despite calls for him to veto him. That started a war between two factions: the one led by the MVP Group who wanted Narvasa out of the picture, and the one that was led by the SMC Group who stood behind Narvasa. The MVP Group managed to get 7 votes to terminate Narvasa’s contract which a vote short of the 8 votes required to remove or retain a commissioner. This war canceled the annual planning session of the PBA in the United States, creating speculations of a possible lockout. 

Then came along the opening day of the 43rd season. The board members gathered around during a press conference just a few hours prior to the opening ceremony- announcing that Chito Narvasa has tendered his resignation. Then, the board came up with a resolution, retaining Narvasa until the end of the year to allow Narvasa to help in the selection of his replacement. 

Who will replace him? We’ll have to wait until next week to know. 

Ginebra’s Back-to-Back Governors’ Cup Championships

Ginebra’s road to another Governors’ Cup championship wasn’t easy as many people initially thought. First, they had to face a Grand Slam-seeking San Miguel Beermen that was bannered anew by 4-time MVP, June Mar Fajardo in the quarterfinals. Then, the Gin Kings battled the TNT KaTropa in a controversial semifinal series. 

Then came to the Finals where they faced the Meralco Bolts- the same team they beat for the championship in 6 games last year.

After winning the first two games of the series, many people began coming up with predictions that Ginebra would sweep Meralco this time around. The Bolts fought back and forced a Game 7 at the Philippine Arena. However, LA Tenorio showed us that yes, despite playing through pain, he still has what it takes to lead his team to a championship and that’s what he did. He drained jumper after jumper in front of a 50,000+ crowd who trooped to the Philippine to witness Ginebra being crowned a champion anew. LA Tenorio finished the 42nd season of the PBA with a Finals MVP. 

Conclusion

As it is, 2017 will be remembered as both a controversial and an exciting year not just for the PBA but for the basketball scene in general. While we are still waiting for the replacement of Chito Narvasa as the PBA Commissioner, this pundit on wheels believes that 2018 will be a better year for the PBA. If anything, this year’s draft class is already loaded with talent enough to shock the league next year. 

The Phenom Bags First Player of the Week Award

(Photo by the PBA Media Bureau)

His numbers speak for himself.

Kiefer Ravena’s greatness has been witnessed by everyone since he was playing for the Ateneo de Manila Blue Eaglets. Then he elevated into the collegiate ranks where he spread his wings furthermore. While playing under Norman Black for a team who was in a middle of a 5-peat run, the Phenom made sure that he left his marks as he won multiple awards including MVPs and Mythical Tem selections.

While his last two seasons with the Blue Eagles went nuts as the Eagles faltered in the Final 4, twice, Ravena managed to show that he’s more than ready to enter the PBA but chose to explore playing opportunities in the United States, even joining the tryouts in the NBA D-League. While nothing happened in that scenario, the Phenom returned home and answered the calls of our national team. Soon, he already has 4 SEA Games gold medals under his belt. Then, he entered the PBA Draft and landed under the guidance of one of the league’s fiercest coaches, Yeng Guiao.

Kiefer Ravena wasted no time in making the most of his time as he dished out his PBA assist just a few seconds right after tip-off against Kia Picanto. By the end of the game, the Phenom has totaled 18 points and 12 assists plus 7 rebounds while leading the NLEX Road Warriors to a 119-115 opening day victory. But that was only the beginning, folks.

On Christmas Day, he led NLEX anew to another victory as he scored 20 points and added 5 assists plus 4 steals in another all-around performance against the GlobalPort Batang Pier who had to play without their star, Terrence Romeo.

As a result of his phenomenal start to his career, Kiefer Ravena was hailed as the Player of the Week in the league’s first week. In his first two games, Ravena averaged 19 points, 8 assists, and 4 rebounds while beating big names for the award such as June Mar Fajardo, Greg Slaughter, JR Quinahan and others.

Conclusion

As mentioned above, Kiefer Ravena is just getting started and we shouldn’t be surprised either if he goes on winning more than just the Player of the Week award. After all, he’s the next-best rookie in his draft class with Christian Standhardinger still busy with his ABL stint. Who knows? Ravena might already be the front-runner for the Rookie of the Year award.  

PBA Governors: SMB, Ginebra and TNT are Teams to Beat in Philippine Cup

A Wheeler’s Opinion: SMB’s star power will dominate anew

(Photo by  the PBA Media Bureau)

If you watched the official launching event for the upcoming 43rd season of the PBA, you wouldn’t believe that the 12 PBA governors were once divided with regards to whether or not Chito Narvasa should stay on as PBA commissioner. For one event, the 12 teams are united behind the fact that the new season will open on December 17, 2017, when the defending Philippine Cup champions, the San Miguel Beermen open their title defense against the Phoenix Fuel Masters. 

There were no visible tension or any sort seen during the launching event and there were many questions that were thrown to the governors themselves. Among the questions that were asked was this:

Who among the 12 teams will be the team to beat in the season-opening Philippine Cup?

Three teams stood as the answers for the majority of the 12 teams:

1. San Miguel Beermen
2. Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings
3. Talk N Text KaTropa

For starters, picking the Beermen as one of the teams to beat this upcoming conference comes as no surprise because they are first and foremost, the defending champions. The Gin Kings will have Greg Slaughter and Japeth Aguilar plus a continuously improving Scottie Thompson as they will enter the new season following a successful Governors’ Cup run which ended in a championship celebration. The KaTropa, despite being kicked out of the semifinals by Ginebra in the last conference, will again be bannered by Asia’s best point guard, Jayson Castro, and big man Troy Rosario. The three teams will be the teams to beat indeed. 

Question: who will win it all?

Answer: The Beermen.

Why?

Simply put it this way. Neither Ginebra nor TNT has someone to even match up against the 4-time MVP, June Mar Fajardo. Tim Cone can employ sending his Twin Towers to double team Fajardo but we all know that won’t work as SMB also has shooters. And, the best starting 5 is still intact, folks. No other team in the league has that powerful all-locals starting unit.

Conclusion

While SMB may be the among the favorites to win it all, anything is still possible. After all, who would have thought that the finals series between Ginebra and the Meralco Bolts would go to a Game 7? 

Questions to be Answered in the New PBA Season

Fans will finally get the answers once the season kicks off next week

(Photo by the PBA Media Bureau)

With the originally scheduled opening of the PBA’s 43rd season just 6 days away, fans are a bit worried. Why?

Here’s why:

There’s no official statement that is released just yet with regards to the status of PBA Commissioner Chito Narvasa- whether he will stay on as the commissioner or not. The last thing we heard about the Chito Narvasa Saga was that the SMC Group, along with their allies, failed to show up in the board meeting that would have allowed both sides to settle this issue, once and for all. 

Even though outgoing PBA Chairman Mikee Romero has already stated a few weeks ago that the issue surrounding the commissioner would be settled before the season opens on the 17th, we haven’t received anything official- just yet. 

Which brings us to the first question that needs to be answered ASAP:

Who will be the PBA Commissioner come December 17, 2017?

While Chito Narvasa is still the commissioner as far as the 5 teams that have been backing him are concerned, the 7 teams that wanted him out of the picture would have Rickie Santos as officer-in-charge until such time that a commissioner gets 8 votes from the 12 teams. 

Technically, Chito Narvasa is still the PBA commissioner- for now. That’s because if you are to look at the rules, 8 votes are needed to either remove or retain a commissioner and so far, it’s technically and figuratively a stalemate. 

Will San Miguel win a Grand Slam this time?

Possibly. If the Beermen can figure out the  Ginebra problem, a problem which ended their chances at a rare Grand Slam last season. 

But talent-wise, a Grand Slam for the Beermnen is more than possible than ever because of the fact that they will have Christian Standhardinger who is expected to suit up upon the completion of his stint in the ABL. Plus, the Beermen’s best starting unit remains intact headed by 4-time MVP, June Mar Fajardo. 

Who will win the Rookie of the Year?

This year’s draft class is filled with talent, probably one of the most talented draft class in recent memory. So the race for the Rookie of the Year will be tight. Here’s the catchy part: Christian Standhardinger will miss the Philippine Cup so that’s a big blow for his chances which means guys like Kiefer Ravena, Jeron Teng and even Reymar Jose are the probable candidate for the ROY. 

Conclusion

Will the season start as scheduled? There’s no word that there’ll be a move so yes, the PBA will be back on December 17, 2017. The commissioner? Grand Slam? ROY? We’ll sure get the answers. Eventually. 

New Twin Towers in Town: Dominance of Standhardinger and Fajardo is Inevitable

And PBA fans should expect more from one of the league’s most hyped rookies

He has contributed to the success of our national team which won the gold medal in the SEA Games earlier this year. He joined the draft and was traded to the San Miguel Beermen even before the draft day itself. 

However, we all have to wait until Christian Standhardinger’s stint in the Asian Basketball League is over before we can see him play in the PBA. But the long wait will be worth it especially for the Beermen. Why? Standhardinger will get to team-up with the Kraken himself, the now 4-time MVP, June Mar Fajardo.

And if you look at how Standhardinger has been playing in the ABL as of late, particularly his last game against the Mono Vampire when he exploded for 40 points while grabbing 17 rebounds, 5 steals and 3 assists, then imagine what he can do once he starts playing alongside Fajardo as they are about form one of the league’s most formidable frontline duos that could challenge the dominance of Gnebra’s Twin Towers of Japeth Aguilar and Greg Slaughter. 

Or, can they actually challenge Aguilar and Slaughter once the two teams face each other?

Japeth Aguilar and Greg Slaughter may be taller than both Fajardo and Standhardinger but talent-wise, it’s a good battle. However, if we are to look back at the previous battles between the two teams,  Greg Slaughter and Japeth Aguilar needed to double-team the Kraken just to limit his production which enabled the shooters of San Miguel to hit their outside shots. Now, put  Standhardinger into the mix and you now have two dominant big men.

One of the reasons why the Fajardo-Standhardinger duo will be a force to be reckoned is the fact that San Miguel already has the best starting unit in the league right now whether they have an import or not. In addition to this, the arrival of Standhardinger will also allow Leo Austria to have one of his starters come off the bench, possibly Arwind Santos because Standhardinger will likely to start at the power forward position unless, Austria will put Santos at the 3 spot.

Conclusion

The Fajardo-Standhardinger duo looks scary on paper but who knows, this is the duo that can perfectly match-up against the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings. And who knows? Christian Standhardinger might give June Mar Fajardo a run for his money. But of course, we all have to wait until he makes his PBA debut. 

Lassiter Stays a Beerman for 3 More Years

San Miguel maintains its “Fab Five”

San Miguel’s best starting unit remains intact. (Photo by the PBA Media Bureau)

The San Miguel Beermen entered last season’s Governors’ Cup with a chance to achieve a rare Grand Slam by winning all three championships in the 42nd season. However, they never get past the quarterfinals as they were dominated by the eventual champions,  the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings who eliminated the Beermen in a single game.

June Mar Fajardo won his 4th straight MVP award. Then, the league was shocked when the Kia Picanto traded away the chance to pick Christian Standhardinger during the PBA Draft for role players from San Miguel. That deal created a rippling shockwave and even raised a few eyebrows which led to the now-hopefully mellowing down tension between the MVP Group who wanted Chito Narvasa out as PBA commissioner, and the SMC Group which stood by Mr. Narvasa. And Mikee Romero has already made the assurance that the 43rd season of the PBA will start as planned.

While the fans of the Beermen will have to wait until the end of the Asian Basketball League before they could get a glimpse of Standhardinger in an official PBA game, there’s a good news for all of you. Yes, the league’s best all-Filipino starting unit remains after Marcio Lassiter signed a 3-year deal to remain with the Beermen. And Coach Leo Austria said in an interview that whatever amount Lassiter will be receiving, he deserves it. And he deserves indeed, folks.

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As one of the league’s best snipers from deep, Marcio Lassiter dropped long bombs after long bombs especially in the crucial situations of the game. Lassiter’s ability to shoot and score threes makes San Miguel a fully-weaponized team. Just imagine what they will look like once Christian Standhardinger suits up during the Commissioner’s Cup.

Conclusion

Marcio Lassiter averaged 14 points per game during the 2016-2017 season while shooting 36% from the three-point line. His numbers equalized to San Miguel’s winning two of three championships. Once the new season opens up, fans will definitely need to watch Lassiter because one way or another, he can shoot and score threes like he’s Steph Curry. Expect him to play a big role in the offense of Leo Austria. After all, San Miguel has the best all-Filipino starting unit, right?

The Analytics: Ginebra’s Win Against SMB By The Numbers

Just how good the Gin Kings were last night?

At one point, there were three Ginebra players bothering MVP candidate Fajardo. (Photo by the PBA Media Bureau)

While there’s no denying the fact that the San Miguel Beermen, a team whose Grand Slam aspiration was crushed to the final piece last night, is still among the elite teams in the league thanks to having the best starting unit that was ever assembled, they had no concrete answer to the way the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings played against them last night and as a result, a 104-84 victory by the Gin Kings  which booked their slot into the semifinals. 

While many were shocked by the fact that the Beermen struggled offensively during the entire game, many were also quick to admit that Tim Cone’s defensive schemes especially against June Mar Fajardo, worked to perfection as Ginebra successfully limited the offensive output of the Kraken by occasionally throwing in two defenders against the big man who was forced to take difficult shots that were either blocked or miserably missed the basket. And it didn’t stop there. Even the snipers of Coach Leo Austria had a miserable shooting night which was one of the main reasons why they were blown out in the first place.

As good as the win was for Ginebra, let’s take a look at some numbers and see how these numbers contributed to Ginebra’s victory:

8 Offensive Rebounds

This was probably was of the amazing numbers that were produced last night. This, folks, was Scottie Thompson’s total number of offensive rebounds. Let this basketball pundit emphasize it again: Scottie Thompson, a guy who is only 6’1” in height, had 8 OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS and 13 in total. He was the leading rebounder last night. Even though his shots weren’t falling, he managed to find other ways to be effective and out-rebounding the big men of the Beermen allowed Thompson to pass the ball to his teammates for another scoring opportunity.  Sure, Fajardo grabbed 9 offensive rebounds but watching Thompson grabbed those 8 offensive rebounds with the big men of San Miguel around him, this guy has the “Never Say Die” mantra printed in his very soul.   

9 Points in the Second Quarter for SMB

This was the total points that San Miguel scored in the whole second quarter, a far cry to Ginebra’s 22 points. To begin with, the score was actually tied at 23 apiece to start the quarter and that was when Ginebra’s defense started to bother Fajardo and company. In fact, the Beermen were held scoreless for almost 5 minutes as San Miguel’s shots were clanking or rattling out of the basket thanks to the consistency and the willingness of the Ginebra players to contest shots, even those shots that the Beermen usually make. In addition to this, that scoring drought that was endured by the Beermen allowed the Gin Kings to go on an 8-0 run which allowed them to pull away, for good. 

22 Points Bench Productions

Ginebra bench players stepped up and produced 22 points during the entire game which proved essential against a San Miguel team that is known as a team who relies heavily on their starting unit. 13 of those 22 points came from the gentle giant, Greg Slaughter who also got the assignment of trying to stop his fellow Cebuano, Fajardo. Sol Mercado also came off the bench to produce the same number of points as of the entire bench of San Miguel, at 9 points. 

25 Dimes

This was the number of assists that Ginebra generated in last night’s victory. As a result, the Gin Kings were able to make most of their scoring opportunities as they made 49% of their field goal attempts, most of them were inside shots such as dunks and lay-ups off crafty passes from Ginebra playmakers. Tinyente LA Tenorio had 10 of those 25 assists, two more than the combined number of assists of San Miguel’s Alex Cabagnot and Chris Ross. 

Game Recap Link: Ginebra vs SMB 2017 PBA Governors Cup QF 

3 Things Ginebra Needs to Do to Beat SMB

These things will help Ginebra against SMB

Guarding June Mar Fajardo is already a daunting task for Ginebra. (Photo by the PBA Media Bureau)

Over the weekend, both the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings and the San Miguel Beermen lost their respective games to end the elimination round which explains their positions heading into their higly-anticipated quarterfinal match-up.

The Gin Kings had the chance to go for the number 1 spot but the Talk N Text Katropa denied the crowd darlings and instead, Ginebra was relegated to 3rd place.

On the other hand, the Beermen had the chance to finish in the Top 4 and get that twice-to-beat advantage but thanks to a stunning defeat at the hands of the Meralco Bolts which saw the Bolts come back from an 18-point hole, June Mar Fajardo and the rest of the Beermen fell to 6th place and have to beat the Gin Kings, twice, to be able to move on to the semifinals which will keep their hopes for a grand slam alive.

For the Gin Kings who are aiming for a back-to-back Governors’ Cup championships, a win against their sister team on Wednesday will enable them to prepare for whoever they will face come the semifinals. However, we all have to keep in mind that San Miguel has already beaten Ginebra earlier this month when Terrence Watson made his debut in a game where he scored 28 points and grabbed 17 rebounds to lead the Beerman to a 107-103 victory over Ginebra last September 10. That victory halted the Gin Kings’ 7-game winning streak.

Now, equipped with the twice-to-beat incentive, the Gin Kings know that letting the Beermen build up any form of confidence when the two teams clash anew come Wednesday is not an option because whether we like it or not, the Beermen have been in this situation where they needed to win successive games against a team. Remember? They won 4 straight against the Alaska Aces in the Finals to win the championship after being down 0-3. So, winning two straight game is, let’s say more doable for a team of the Beermen’s calibre.

If you’re Tim Cone, you wouldn’t think about having the twice-to-beat edge. If Ginebra wants a longer rest before the semifinals, dealing with the Beermen in one game is a must. Below are the three important things that Justin Brownlee, Japeth Aguilar and the rest of the Gin Kings need to do come Wednesday:

Defend

As they all say, “Defense wins championships” and since they are the defending champions for this conference, the Gin Kings must rely on their defense if they want any hopes of stopping Watson or at the very least, June Mar Fajardo who is playing like an import for San Miguel. However, one strength of the Beermen that Ginebra needs to overcome is that the team of Coach Leo Austria is also loaded with long-distance snipers who can drop threes especially when left unguarded. They have guys like Alex Cabagnot, Chris Ross, Marcio Lassiter and even Arwind Santos who can make those long jumpers as if they’re only lay-ups.

Even though San Miguel is only making 19% of their attempts from rainbow country during the elimination round, Ginebra should make sure that they defend the shooters of San Miguel. And, don’t forget to defend Fajardo as well. Basically, choosing between sending a double-team or even a triple-team to defend Fajardo and, closing in on the shooters is a gamble and a headache for any team who is facing San Miguel and that what makes them the best all-local team that we have in the league right now.

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There’s simply no way Ginebra can eliminate the Beermen when only two players doing the job as we saw in Ginebra’s loss to TNT where only Justin Brownlee and Japeth Aguilar scored in double figures. They are dealing with a San Miguel team which has the best starting unit to begin with and they have the best player in the league in June Mar Fajardo.

The rest of the Gin Kings must find a way to contribute in other way when they are struggling offensively. For starters, LA Tenorio’s leadership on the floor will be needed so is the athleticism of Scottie Thompson. Greg Slaughter also needs to find a way to make his presnece felt to take off some defensive pressure away from Brownlee and Aguilar. And speaking of Aguilar, he has to score more points now that he has ended a series of scoreless games which can benefit the Gin Kings because this will mean that Brownlee won’t need to take majority of the scoring load.

Live the “Never Say Die” Mentality

With or without the twice-to-beat edge, Ginebra must remain hungry for the win no matter how challenging the task of defending and defeating San Miguel. Ginebra has been known, loved and even hated for their “Never Say Die” mentality which means that they never give up against all odds.

If anything, Wednesday will be the perfect time for the Gin Kings to go back to that mentality because playing against a deadly team like San Miguel will require more than just the talents and skills. It requires the heart to go on fighting and when it comes to this, no better team does this other than Ginebra, right?

Durham, Bolts Erase 18-point Lead, Stun SMB

Meralco Claims Number 1 Spot after Comeback Win

Jared Dillinger scored 16 points off the bench to spark the Bolts’ comeback. (Photo by the PBA Media Bureau)

The good news for the Meralco Bolts is, they only need to win their final game to claim the number 1 spot entering the quarterfinals. The bad news is, they needed to do it against a San Miguel team which they haven’t beaten since 2015.

Nope. Not this time around, Beermen. The Meralco Bolts came back from an 18-point deficit to claim the number 1 spot after stunning the San Miguel Beermen, 104-101.

Hoping to continue their mastery of the Bolts, the San Miguel Beermen jumped to a double-digit lead early on. The Bolts were struggling to get anything going in their offense as the Beermen’s defense continuously forced them into committing turnovers which the Beerman would convert into points on the other end.Throughout the 2nd quarter, the Bolts were struggling miserably as they shot only 37% in the field including a 27% 3-point shooting.

San Miguel for their part, shot way better in the field, making 47% of their shot attempts in the first half including 53% from the 2-point area. The lead went down at 8 after a Baser Amer lay-up with 66 seconds left before halftime. On the ensuing possession, Marcio Lassiter nailed a trey to put the lead back to double-digits. June Mar Fajardo already had 10 points by halftime. So is Marcio Lassiter. So is import Terrence Watson. Meanwhile, Allen Durham did have 10 points but was continuously struggling to make his shots against the suffocating defense of the Beermen which forced him to make only 4 of his 13 attempts in the first 24 minutes of action.

The Beermen continued pouring in the points in the shaded area to start off the 3rd quarter with Fajardo and Alex Cabagnot.Chris Ross who went scoreless in San Miguel’s previous game, another 3-pointer a few possessions later and a shot by Fajardo put the lead up to 17, forcing Norman Black to call a timeout 3 minutes into the quarter.  Fajardo later added another dunk after a bad pass by the Bolts player.

S0an Miguel’s lead then ballooned to 18 points after a jumper by Watson. Meralco tried to chip away at the lead as Mike Tolomia scored on a lay-up to bring the lead down to 16 but the Beermen were able to answer every basket that the Bolts made. Meralco came back roaring as they cut down the lead to 10 with a trey from Tolomia with less than 2 minutes to play in the 3rd. San Miguel brought a 12-point lead coming into the final quarter.

A goaltending violation against San Miguel cut down the Beermen’s lead to 7 in the opening minutes of the fourth as Reynel Hugnatan nailed a jumper to furthermore bring down the lead to just 5, forcing San Miguel Coach Leo Austria to call time.

After back-to-back made baskets by Fajardo, Allen Durham another trey with under 6 minutes on the clock only to be answered by another basket by Fajardo. A pair of charities by Cliff Hodge brought Meralco within 2 with under 5 minutes to play.

After the Beermen increased their lead back to 9, Meralco charged back right away, just trailing 96-92 with under 3 minutes to go until Jared Dillinger drained another trey cut down the lead just to 1. After a Watson basket, Amer scored on another three-pointer to tie the game at 98 apiece with 1:24 to go. Durham gave Meralco its first taste of the lead on a driving lay-up against Fajardo with under a minute to play. Chris Ross answered right back with another trey to give the Beermen a 101-100 lead heading into the final 40 seconds. Durham scored on his own missed shot to put his team back up 102-101 with under 28 seconds remaining.

San Miguel still had one more chance to take the lead but Fajardo’s shot was heavily contested and Meralco was able to grab the ensuing rebound and call an all-important timeout with 4 seconds on the clock. Durham added two more free throws as San Miguel ran out of time on the other end.

Allen Durham led the way for the Bolts with his 35 points, 13 rebounds and 8 assists. Dillinger added 16 while Chris Newsome finished with 14 points. Baser Amer also contributed 13 points. For the losing team, Fajardo had 26 points to go along with his 8 rebounds. Terrence Watson and Marcio Lassiter had 18 points each while Alex Cabagnot and Chris Ross finished with 16 and 10 respectively.

While the starters of San Miguel produced their usual numbers, it was the bench scoring that allowed Meralco to mount a comeback and eventually, helped them win the game.

Scores:

Meralco – 104

Durham 35, Dilinger 16, Newsome 14, Amer 13, Hodge 8, Tolomia 8, De Ocampo 6, Hugnatan 2, Nabong 2, Atkins 0, Yeo 0, Lanete 0, Sedurita 0, Caram 0, Faundo 0

San Miguel – 101

Fajardo 26, Watson 18, Lassiter 18, Cabagnot 16, Ross 10, Santos 6, Ganuelas-Rosser 4, Espinas 3, Heruela 0, McCarthy 0, Pessumal 0, Reyes  0, Agovida 0, Tubid 0, de Ocampo 0

Quarter scores:

19-31, 39-51, 69-81,104-101 

Jared Dilinger scored 16 points off the bench to spark the Bolts’ comeback. (Photo by the PBA Media Bureau)

Powcast Gilas Pilipinas Player Card: June Mar Fajardo

June Mar Fajardo

June Mar Fajardo also known as The Kraken was born in Compostela Cebu. At his early age, His family tranferred to Pinamungajan Cebu where he spent most of his teen years. He played Center position in the University of Cebu and the San Miguel Beermen in the ASEAN Basketball League. He was selected as the first overall in 2012 PBA Draft by the Petron Blaze Boosters. Even though he was young at age, June Mar Fajardo showed that he had a great potential in playing in the league and dubbed by local sports analysts as the Future of Philippine Basketball. During his rookie season, he earned a silver medal playing Men’s basketball at the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship for Team Philippines. He was also selected to the All-Rookie Team and Second Mythical Team.

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