B-Meg Derby Ace needed to go through overtime before slamming the door on a fighting San Miguel Beer side, 93-88, Sunday night in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Araneta Coliseum. Peter June Simon scored a conference-high 26 points and accounted for the Llamados’ first five points in the extra period, providing the cushion the team needed to pull off another win despite the absence of top gun James Yap (calf injury).
The Llamados have now won two in a row for an even 4-4 card. They remain in the thick of the fight for a berth in the playoffs.
“Kailangan lang talaga mag-step-up dahil wala nga si James," said Simon, who had to defy the defensive stance of the taller and longer Arwind Santos.
The sixth straight loss for San Miguel formalized the team’s exit in the import-laden conference, just about a month after finishing runner-up in the Philippine Cup behind champion Talk `N Text.
Their absence in the playoffs will be the first for the league’s winningest franchise since 2005.
Still, the Beermen gave the Llamados a good fight, cutting an early five-point deficit in overtime to just 88-89 on a hook shot by rookie Rabah Al-Hussaini with 44 seconds left.
Splits from the foul line by Marc Pingris and Kerby Raymundo still opened the door for a possible game-tying basket for San Miguel, 91-88, in the final 6.8 seconds.
But Jay Washington failed to capitalize on an open-look three-pointer in the Beermen’s final offensive play.
Regulation ended at 84-84 on a basket by San Miguel import Danny Young with 40 seconds to go.
The Beermen actually had a chance to win the game outright after Santos blocked Kerby Raymundo’s shot — his sixth for the contest — at the other end with six seconds left.
But Alex Cabagnot didn’t call a timeout and hurriedly went for a shot that badly missed as time expired.
New Derby Ace import Courtney Beasley, plagued by jetlag and cramps, debuted for 17 points and 12 rebounds, while Jonas Villanueva returned to active duty and finished with 14.
Pingris and Raymundo each had 13 points for the Llamados.
Raymundo even reached a milestone at the 10:33 mark of the third period when he hit a basket (43-41) to become the 63rd member of the league’s 5,000-point club.
Young paced San Miguel with 28 points, but remained winless for the team in six games.
The Beermen trailed by as many as 10 points at 27-37 midway in the second half, but grabbed the upper hand, 39-37, by scoring 12 unanswered points.
Simon, however, knocked in a jumper over three San Miguel defenders to beat the halftime buzzer as the two teams went to the break tied at 39-39. -
KY, RCJ, GMA News
