FOR San Miguel Beer (SMB) to win again today, it must first minimize mistakes, aka turnovers. Then, it must convert makeable shots from nearby, as in free throws and stabs at close range.
Those were the twin stinkers in Games One and Two that resulted in ugly losses via scores of 100-91 and 83-80 in Alaska’s favor. Lost opportunities threw away won-games that could have given SMB now a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven playoffs for the Smart Bro-Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup.
The Beermen did exactly the opposite of those in Game Four, resulting almost easily in an overtime 110-104 win that somewhat saved ego and pride for the winningest team in the league’s 2015 edition.
Haven’t the Beermen won two of the usual three conferences staked last season, a feat that earned for SMB mentor Leo Austria the Coach of the Year honors?
The ongoing title clash is actually a repeat of last year’s duel for the All-Filipino crown, perennially the most prestigious of the three conferences.
But unlike this one, wherein Alaska has spurted to a 3-0 bubble before SMB saved one win on Sunday, their 2015 Finals showdown was a roller coaster that went the full distance.
And in last year’s Game Seven decider, only a triple by Arwind Santos from right quartercourt with ticks remaining allowed SMB to prevail, 4-3.
It is therefore a puzzle that in 19 tries from beyond the arc in four games of the playoffs, Santos could only sink two. Even Arwind’s stabs at close range were often miserable misses.
No wonder Austria kept benching Santos—a clear reaction to his prized forward’s weird dip in performance, especially at this time when the Beermen are trying to defend their crown.
It would not have mattered that much if only June Mar Fajardo, SMB’s 6-foot-10 pillar, were around.
But Fajardo has not played since Game One, and might miss the entire playoffs, as his knee injury suffered in the SMB-Rain or Shine Game Six (the Beermen prevailed for a finals-clinching 4-2 victory) remains unhealed.
But it is times like this when benchwarmers are given the opportunity to prove themselves.
And, holy smokes, Fajardo’s relievers, like Yancy de Ocampo and Gabby Espinas, have stepped up and given San Miguel fans something to cheer about, especially in Game Four.
OK, de Ocampo played so-so in Games One and Two, missing shots on both occasions in the endgame that would have changed the complexion of both encounters had he not muffed hits from point-blank range.
But in Game Four on Sunday, de Ocampo more than redeemed himself when he fired four points in overtime that helped prop SMB to victory.
And what about Espinas in that great SMB bounce-back after Cyrus Baguio’s triple at the buzzer tied it at 98-98 to shove Game Four into overtime?
Espinas relived his glory days with his 21 big points and 14 huge rebounds. And, although he fouled out before the five-minute extension, his efforts did not go to waste.
Chris Ross made sure of that after his two lane-parting shots sparked a 9-0 run for the Beermen that also included four points from de Ocampo.
When SMB finally sealed the ego-boosting win to live another day, even as Alaska still held a safe 3-1 distance, Austria could only sigh, “We need three more miracles [to win the crown].”
He was just stating the obvious.
THAT’S IT. Coaching is one of the most thankless jobs one can ever get. David Blatt knows this by now. He was fired only days back as head coach of Cleveland Cavaliers—even as he had steered the Cavs to the National Basketball Association Finals last year and made Cleveland consistently up there in the Eastern battles in the ongoing season. Oh, well. I have always maintained that a coach is good only when he is winning titles…. And so, if Tab Baldwin is, indeed, a good coach, he should put the country back to the Olympics by mentoring Gilas to victory in the Olympic basketball qualifying here from July 4 to 10. And Ateneo, too, in the next UAAP season?