SMB closes in on PBA crown

San Miguel Beer held its ground against Talk n Text in a fiery shootout from the long court in the second half, carving out a 87-82 win that carried the team to the doorstep of the Gran Matador PBA Fiesta Cup championship at the Araneta Coliseum last night.

Dondon Hontiveros and Ace Custis combined for nine triples as against the Phone Pals’ eight in the last two quarters as San Miguel overcame Talk n Text’s spirited chase for the win that gave the team a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.

The Beermen take the first of three cracks at the title in Game Five Wednesday at the Astrodome. If necessary, Games Six and Seven will be played at the Araneta Coliseum.

"Dondon (Hontiveros) had been struggling in the series. Ngayon lang gumanda ang shooting niya and it came in no better time. He bailed us out in many instances in this game," said San Miguel coach Jong Uichico of the Cebuano hotshot who went 6-of-11 from the three-point area and finished with 24 points, six blocks and one steal.

Curiously, Hontiveros rose to the occasion after San Miguel had lost an early 18-point bulge on a daring chase by Talk n Text returning from the halftime huddle.

Meanwhile, Barangay Ginebra ace Fil-Am Eric Menk claimed the Most Valuable Player honors he rightfully deserved for a dominating performance in the 2004-05 PBA season.

Menk, 30, flew in from London yesterday to personally receive the most coveted plum in elaborate rites before the game. Shell’s Rich Alvarez and Red Bull’s Enrico Villanueva also seized the spotlight in the ceremony dubbed the Leo Awards as Rookie of the Year awardee and the Most Improved Player, respectively.

The 6-foot-6 Menk, who amassed 8,217 points, won the award over Willie Miller (3,043), Nic Belasco (1,978), Mark Caguioa (1,951), and Jimmy Alapag (1,211).

Menk, Miller, Alapag, Belasco and San Miguel’s Dorian Peña made it to the Mythical First Team while Caguioa landed in the Mythical Second Team together with San Miguel’s Olsen Racela, Talk n Text’s Mark Telan, Shell’s Anthony dela Cruz and Ginebra’s Romel Adducul.

Willie Miller, Jimmy Alapag and Vic Pablo fired long bombs to fuel their comeback but Hontiveros and Ace Custis later on also found their range from afar to give San Miguel the breather.

Hontiveros and Custis sank in three triples each as the Beermen regained a commanding lead, 71-60, at the end of the third quarter.

Hontiveros added three more in the fourth, and the Beermen kept a safe distance with an 84-72 margin with 4:56 left in the game.

The Phone Pals drew within six at 78-84 on a six-point binge by Jerald Honeycutt, Mark Telan and Pablo, but the Beermen wisely played the clock in the last two minutes.

Walloped by 26 points the last time, the Beermen came out smoking, taking the first quarter at 32-18 before erecting their biggest lead in the game at 36-18.

"The players took it personally. They took it to heart. Personally, I was also embarrassed by that loss (in Game Three)," said Uichico. "We came out the exact opposite when we came out flat the last time."

Uichico now expects Talk n Text to bounce back whatever it takes in Game Five. "We have to remember Game Three. We can’t afford to relax in Game Five or we’ll allow Talk n Text to gain another day to live," said Uichico.