Beermen smelling blood

 MCcullough: We’re going to win this.....

MANILA, Philippines — Lagging behind for the most part of this arduous journey, tenacious San Miguel Beer can finally storm past TNT KaTropa and reach the summit with one more hard grind.

The Beermen, who at one point teetered on the brink of elimination but willed themselves to survive, have placed themselves in striking position for the PBA Commissioner’s Cup crown by taking a 3-2 lead off a 99-94 come-from-behind verdict last Wednesday.

And now, SMB’s import Chris McCullough is smelling blood.

“We’re going to win this s..t!, we’re going to win this s...t!,” he emphatically declared ahead of tonight’s possible clincher at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. “One more game, we’ll come ready to play, be mentally locked in, not let it go to a Game 7.”

Standing in their way is an embattled TNT side determined to save a campaign filled with high expectations and dominant performances throughout.

“It’s either win or be done and I’m not ready to be done,” said Best Import awardee Terrence Jones, himself out to bounce back after fading in the midst of SMB’s furious fourth-quarter run. “I’m sure my teammates aren’t ready to be done and we come in and play (Game 6) with that attitude.”

The protagonists are well aware that a 3-2 count is in no way the end of it all. 

TNT has actually come back from such a deficit before, stealing the diadem in the 2009 Philippine Cup against Alaska. SMB itself fell short in the 1998 All-Filipino Cup against the Aces.

“It’s not over yet. They’re one game up but we still have a chance in Game 6. We just need to learn our lesson and be mentally tough in situations like these, especially against an experienced, champion team. We’ll try our best again,” said TNT mentor Bong Ravena.

“We have a lot of work to do. I’m sure they will bounce back hard next game or else they’ll lose the title. Their backs are against the wall and they will do everything to even the series. But this is our opportunity, we don’t want to let it slip away,” said SMB counterpart Leo Austria.

The Beermen gave the KaTropa a dose of their own medicine, throwing a stifling defense that fuelled their turnaround from a 16-point deficit. Christian Standhardinger was tapped to guard a tiring Jones in the homestretch, hounding him from backcourt to frontcourt.

Jones played without relief and submitted 35 points, 17 rebounds and eight assists but committed seven turnovers, some of them in the final push.

“I don’t know how much of it is due to tiredness, maybe I’ll give him rest next game. But he’s got to come back find a way to have energy to have a good game in Game 6. We can’t lose any more so we got to come ready to win,” said TNT consultant Mark Dickel.