San Miguel Beer takes 2-1 lead after logging 38-point victory over Ginebra in Game 3
With San Miguel up big in the dying minutes of the fourth, Ginebra second stringer Aljon Mariano found himself a free path to the basket for a layup.
He missed.
On the other end, San Miguel back up players Kelly Nabong and Von Pessumal were hitting contested threes.
It was that kind of a day in Game 3 of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals as the Beermen took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series after crushing the Gin Kings, 132-94, on Wednesday night.
It was the second blowout victory for the Beermen, who won Game 2, 143-109. That came after Ginebra won Game 1 also by a huge lead, 127-99.
It has been all blowouts so far after three games, something not many expected considering how well both teams are matched up roster wise.
Game 3 looked close in the first half, with the Beermen just up, 53-51, at the turn.
But then San Miguel turned up the heat in the third, bulding a 92-72 lead going into the final canto.
Things got worse in the fourth as the San Miguel went on a 9-2 run that virtually took the fight out of the crowd-favorite Gin Kings.
“(Renaldo) Balkman put a slogan on the board at the half that said ‘All gas, no brakes’ so that’s basically what we wanted to do. We wanted to step up our intensity on defense and let our defense create offense. That’s what we did,” said San Miguel’s Chris Ross, who, after a scoreless Game 2, exploded for 23 points on 7-of-13 shooting from beyond the arc.
Balkman led the Beermen with 28 points but five others also chipped in double digits.