Beermen complete golden comeback to keep PBA grand slam chase alive

MANILA, Philippines – With its early struggles, San Miguel Beer wasn't considered the gold standard of the PBA Commissioner's Cup. But in the end, the Beermen prove they're worth more than gold.

The resolute Beermen lay claim to the coveted crown with a clinching 102-90 triumph over top-seeded TNT KaTropa, completing their turnaround from an under-performing giant to the tournament's very best.

No. 7 SMB toppled No. 1 TNT in a tightly fought duel, 4-2, making a new record as the lowest seeds to win it all on a historic night in front of 12,447 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

"We never thought we'll be in the finals at the start of the conference but we're so fortunate we're able to win this championship," said SMB coach Leo Austria after his charges won the second jewel of the season and on course for a rare grand slam.

It was a perfect ending for slow-starting SMB, which at one point of the tournament stood on the brink of elimination with a woeful 2-5 before Chris McCullough came in as replacement to original import Charles Rhodes and sparked its resurgence. 

The Beermen reached the quarterfinals as seventh ranked, overcoming twice-to-beat No. 2 NorthPort then tough Rain or Shine in the semis, 3-1, before stealing the thunder from the Terrence Jones-led KaTropa. 

The Beermen racked up three straight wins to wipe out TNT's 2-1 edge and collect the franchise's 27th crown overall.

"We just worked hard at the gym, worked hard at practice, and got real focused," said McCullough, who made 35 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks in the clincher.

It wasn't all McCullough though as June Mar Fajardo .had 19-13 and Christian Standhardinger chipped in 18 and 6, aside from playing the role of main Jones-stopper. Alex Cabagnot added 10, the same output as Terrence Romeo, who was adjudged PBA Press Corps Final MVP.

Best Import Jones fired 41 with 12 boards in TNT's losing cause as Jayson Castro (16) and RR Pogoy (13) backed him up

The Beermen set the tone for the convincing win with a strong finishing kick in the first quarter, 12-3, with McCullough spearheading.

From a 26-19 lead through the first 12 minutes, the Beermen kept going and widened the gap to as many as 19 points at 63-44.

Notes: San Miguel Beer forward Arwind Santos, who drew flak and a P200,000 fine for his racially discriminatory "monkey gesture" directed at TNT's Terrence Jones in Game 5, approached the Best Import awardee during the warmups to personally sorry. Jones acknowledged Santos.