Beermen oust Kings, march to finals

Games today: (Ynares Sports Center, Antipolo)

6:30 p.m. – Nlex Road Warriors vs Magnolia Hotshots

MANILA, Philippines — Foiled in its grand slam aspiration the last time, San Miguel Beer is back in the finals, in chase of another special feat – an all-Filipino four-peat.

The mighty Beermen crushed the Gin Kings’ determined bid to prolong their series, showing great poise and composure under gnawing pressure to carve out a 100-94 victory and claim the first finals berth in the 2018 PBA Philippine Cup at the Cuneta Astrodome last night.

The two teams figured in an exciting duel of spurts before June Mar Fajardo and his troops outfought the Kings in the clutch to get back against the same team that dashed their grand slam hopes last season.

Fajardo and Marcio Lassiter fired 25 points apiece, Arwind Santos churned out double-double numbers with 13 rebounds and 11 points while Matt Ganuelas Rosser and Alex Cabagnot contributed 14 and 12 markers, respectively, as the Beermen booked a fourth straight finals appearance in the league’s premier conference.

It’s SMB’s 39th PBA final in all, 12th in the all-Filipino tourney.

The three-time all-Filipino defending champs seek to extend their reign versus the winner of the Magnolia-NLEX semis series.

The Hotshots and the Road Warriors both brace for an all-out battle as they dispute the pivotal 3-2 lead in their showdown at the Ynares Sports Center in Antipolo tonight.

In splitting their first four matches, the Hotshots and the Road Warriors are now engaged in a war of attrition. And the question is which team has the greater desire and will to fuel a final push towards achieving a berth on the biggest stage of the playoffs.

It’s a virtual best-of-three, and one side is feeding on a desire to keep alive hopes of ending a three-year title drought while the other is stoked up by a bid to further a breakthrough ride.

With their early final passage, the Beermen are assured of at least a five-day rest.

“We worked for that. We’re tired, and we didn’t want our series to get longer,” said Fajardo, SMB’s tower of power, a cinch to win the Best Player of the Conference honors.

“We’re so proud to make it to the all-Filipino finals for the fourth straight year. But we know it’s not going to be easy winning it,” Fajardo also said. “Whoever will be our opponent will not just roll over. We have to earn it. Our job is not yet done, our mission not yet accomplished.”

The scores:

SAN MIGUEL 100 – Fajardo 25, Lassiter 23, Ganuelas-Rosser 14, Cabagnot 12, Santos 11, Ross 5, Espiñas 5, De Ocampo 4, Pessumal 1.

BARANGAY GINEBRA 94 – J. Aguilar 32, Mercado 14, Ferrer 10, Thompson 10, Devance 9, Tenorio 8, R. Aguilar 7, Cruz 4, Caguioa 2, Caperal 0.

Quarterscores: 25-34, 55-55, 83-76, 100-94