San Miguel Beermen Bennie Boatwright leads his team to the PBA semifinals Game 2 win. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
Talks of an iteration of San Miguel Beer’s dreaded quintet from not so way back surfaced anew after the Beermen moved on the doorstep of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals by turning the tables on Barangay Ginebra for the second straight game.
But coach Jorge Gallent, who guided the Beermen to a 106-96 win at Mall of Asia Arena Friday for a commanding 2-0 lead within the best-of-five semis, would slightly describe every player on the roster as a part of any name fans and observers would love to say.
“There’s no ‘Death Five’ here. It’s ‘Death 15,’” Gallent said.
Gallent and the Beermen, who were led by frontline combo of import Bennie Boatwright and June Mar Fajardo plus the timely contributions from Marcio Lassiter and Jeron Teng, now have three probabilities to place the Gin Kings away starting Sunday at the identical Pasay City showplace.
The coach’s description showed following one other hard-fought victory that put the Gin Kings getting ready to being dethroned as champions, and possibly being swept within the semis, something they did to the Beermen in last season’s Governors’ Cup.
Fajardo, Lassiter, Chris Ross and former teammates Arwind Santos and Alex Cabagnot formed the unique “Death Five” during their days lifting championship trophy after championship trophy between 2015 to 2019, as they made for a starting lineup regarded as amongst one of the best within the PBA’s colourful history.
Teng shows value
San Miguel Beermen’s Jeron Teng and Jericho Cruz within the PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinals. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
Ginebra coach Tim Cone made mention in Game 1 of an updated version, especially with Boatwright and Fajardo imposing trouble mostly underneath. San Miguel, nevertheless, is so deep that Gallent can pull someone even from the tip of the bench who could be able to delivering.
One player who got here through was Teng, the offseason signing after years with Alaska and Converge, who has settled in for a limited role.
Teng finally had his best showing in a Beermen jersey, delivering quality minutes within the third, which allowed San Miguel to maintain control. Gallent got greater than he had hoped for when Teng got here in to limit his former Converge buddy, Maverick Ahanmisi.
“Anybody’s good here. They wouldn’t be here in the event that they’re anything but good,” Gallent said.
Boatwright finished with 38 points spiked by six triples, including the last that brought the Beermen ahead, 99-93, with lower than two minutes to go, while Fajardo’s career-high six blocks highlighted a robust defensive showing, particularly against Christian Standhardinger.
Standhardinger was held to nine points and was just 3-for-11, with a few of his attempts denied by Fajardo.
Jamie Malonzo’s 27 points on six three-pointers weren’t enough to maintain Ginebra away from danger of an early ending to its campaign, unless the Gin Kings can pull that signature “Never Say Die” comeback again.
