Beermen out to broom

San Miguel Beer hardly looked like a title contender after starting the PBA Commissioner’s Cup with back-to-back losses this season. Coach Leo Austria, however, refused to give up hope. With one-time Best Import Charles Rhodes in harness, San Miguel tried to regroup but struggled in compiling a 2-5 record.

Despite Rhodes’ heroic efforts, the Beermen couldn’t make headway and a 134-132 overtime loss to cellar-dweller Columbian prompted team management to pull the plug on the Colossus. In came the elongated, wiry 6-8 1/2 NBA veteran Chris McCullough to take over from Rhodes. It was a gamble to try out the 24-year-old forward who couldn’t finish his freshman year at Syracuse because of an ACL injury and played as an NBA rookie four months into the season to recover from surgery.

But Austria rolled the dice and took a chance on McCullough. After all, the kid with the 7-3 wingspan was once an NBA first round draft pick so that had to count for something special. As it turned out, the gamble paid off. Since McCullough’s arrival, San Miguel has won seven of eight games and is now a win away from barging into the Finals.

Entering the playoffs, San Miguel was seeded seventh and had a twice-to-win disadvantage against No. 2 NorthPort. The Beermen ended the eliminations on a sour note, losing a 95-91 decision to Meralco and fans picked the Batang Pier to bowl over San Miguel in the quarters. But lo and behold, the Beermen defeated NorthPort twice in a row, 98-84 and 90-88, to advance to the Final Four. The victory came at a heavy price as starter Marcio Lassiter fell injured in the second encounter and is out for the conference with an MCL sprain in his left knee. Lassiter will be sidelined for at least six weeks, jeopardizing his journey with Gilas to the FIBA World Cup in China on Aug. 31-Sept. 15.

So San Miguel ventured into the best-of-five semifinals against Rain or Shine without Lassiter. In Game 1 last Saturday, the Elasto Painters started like a house on fire and opened a 20-7 lead. Rain or Shine was in the driver’s seat for 32 out of the 48 minutes but sputtered down the stretch, failing to score in the last 2:28 as San Miguel escaped with a 111-105 decision. 

In Game 2 last Monday, Rain or Shine once again raced to a strong start and led by 29 early in the second period. Then, the Beermen dropped a 21-0 bomb and never took a foot off the pedal in blasting the Painters, 117-105. Even without Lassiter, San Miguel managed to find a way to rise from the grave and bury Rain or Shine.

Austria used a variety of big and small lineups to take the starch out of Rain or Shine. In the second period, he went with June Mar Fajardo, Christian Standhardinger and McCullough on the floor. In the fourth quarter, he deployed Alex Cabagnot, Chris Ross and Terrence Romeo together. Rain or Shine scrambled to match up with whatever combination Austria threw on the court and couldn’t find an antidote to regain momentum.

Ross was phenomenal in Game 2, erupting for a career-high 34 points spiked by 10 triples. Standhardinger was another major contributor. His activity on defense, hard-showing in the perimeter, wreaked havoc on Rain or Shine’s execution. He was ejected on two technicals but by the time he left, the outcome was already settled. Standhardinger finished with 15 points on 7-of-12 field goals and a free throw in 20:06 solid minutes.

San Miguel is now on the verge of qualifying for its 42nd Finals, ninth with Austria at the helm. A win over Rain or Shine in Game 3 tonight will end the semis series and put the Beermen back in the title playoffs. It’s unimaginable how a team can do a Lazarus act thrice over in the same conference – first, digging out of a 2-5 hole to make it to the playoffs then overcoming a twice-to-win disadvantage to eliminate NorthPort in the quarters and finally, surviving a 29-point deficit to thwart Rain or Shine in Game 2 of the semis. A victory in the finals will bring San Miguel one crown away from a grand slam but that’s getting way ahead of the story.