MANILA, Philippines — No more Mr. Nice Guys, these San Miguel Beermen.
Armed with a belated passion for aggression and highly motivated by the bloody treatment they received in Game Three of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals two days ago, the Beermen gun for the equalizer against the Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters this Sunday at the Araneta Coliseum.
Game Four is set at 6 p.m. and could signal the start of a full-blown war between two titanic forces in the aftermath of what transpired last Friday.
An elbow from TNT reserve Mark Yee late in the game opened a big gash on the head of SMB shooter Sunday Salvacion, and a well-placed knee from Emerson Oreta sent Beermen point guard Alex Cabagnot sprawling on the floor.
Jason Castro, the Texters’ explosive playmaker, appeared also to have stuck a foot on the landing spot of an airborne Cabagnot, and several other incidents of physicality on both sides indicate the best-of-7 series is taking a turn for the type of ruggedness bordering on roughness – always a fan favorite but a nightmare for game officials.
Yee and Oreta were summoned by PBA Commissioner Chito Salud on Saturday and fined P10,000 and P5,000, respectively.
TNT leads the series, 2-1, after winning Games One and Two, 91-82 in Victorias City, Negros Occidental and 110-102 at the Cuneta Astrodome.
But SMB averted falling into a disastrous situation last Friday, dropping a megaton bomb in Game Three that obliterated the Texters as the Finals moved to the Big Dome.
Responding to a call to finally get going made by retiring SMB guard Olsen Racela during a pre-game tribute in his honor, the Beermen roared to a couple of double digit leads in the first half before completely decimating the Texters in the final two quarters, handing them one of their worst beatings ever, 103-82.
“Sa inilalaro ng mga bata, baka magtuloy-tuloy kami,” said Ato Agustin, the SMB coach, ebullient before talks of the bloody incident involving Salvacion and Yee sent him into a fury.
Chot Reyes, the TNT coach, marveled at the way San Miguel emerged from back-to-back losses.
“Now that’s the real San Miguel team,” he said. “We really got our butts whipped tonight. They've made their adjustments, and that is what this series is all about. Now it's up to us to make ours.”
Arwind Santos led the Beermen with 20 points while Salvacion added 13 and the guard-center tandem of Cabagnot and Danny Ildefonso, who started in place of the foul-prone Dorian Pena, 12 points each.
Castro, hounded by the long-limbed Santos, a defensive adjustment SMB made to slow down the fleet-footed TNT playmaker, had 13 points, along with backcourt starter Jimmy Alapag.
Ryan Reyes, a key figure for TNT in the first two games, is expected to return today after missing Game Three to attend to the burial of his younger brother who was killed in a vehicular accident in Anaheim before Game One.
SMB forward Danny Seigle, who twisted an ankle after landing on the foot of TNT's Harvey Carey, is likely to miss Sunday night's game.
Meanwhile, the battle for the PBA Best Player of the Conference comes to an end today, with the winner announced before Game Four.
Tito Talao, Manila Bulletin
