Focused on next game vs Bossing, Beermen brush off thoughts of elims sweep

MANILA, Philippines – San Miguel Beermen head coach Jorge Gallent said sweeping the elimination round of the PBA Philippine Cup is not in his mind. 

The defending champions have won their nine elimination round games thus far, clinching the top spot of the tournament with two more games left. 

On Wednesday, they will be facing the Blackwater Bossing as they aim for their 10th straight victory, the first of a Labor Day double-header. The second game will be between the TNT Tropang Giga and the Converge FiberXers. 

On the cusp of completing an 11-win elims sweep, Gallent said that they are taking things a step at a time. 

“No [we are not thinking of the sweep]. Our next goal is the 10th game. We’re just going step by step,” the coach told reporters after their 120-103 triumph over the NLEX Road Warriors on Sunday. 

“As of now, we’ll just think of the 10th game. We’ll think of Blackwater. If [the sweep] comes, it comes. But that’s not really in our minds,” he added.

“We’re just taking it step by step, prepare everything when it comes.” 

San Miguel will be facing a hungry Blackwater team that lost their last six games. 

They absorbed a heartbreaking 115-113 defeat at the hands of NorthPort, wherein Batang Pier forward Arvin Tolentino sank a game-winning midrange jumper. 

With the loss, the Bossing have to win their last two games — against San Miguel and Phoenix Fuel Masters — to try and crash into the quarterfinals. 

“That game, [Blackwater] had to win to make it to the playoffs. It was a big game for them, that’s why they had 100%, but they came up short,” he said. 

After the Bossing game on Wednesday, the Beermen will end their elimination round against the Meralco Bolts on Saturday. 

“As of now, Meralco is not even in our heads because we’re playing Blackwater on Wednesday.”