Alex Cabagnot

MANILA, Philippines
- Coming up with at least one game-winner is every player’s dream. Alex Cabagnot made two-in-row, lifting San Miguel Beer to the lead in the PBA Philippine Cup.

Cabagnot came through with a pair of last-second baskets to propel the Beermen to back-to-back wins last week and emerge the unanimous choice as the Accel-PBA Press Corps’ Player of the Week for the period Oct. 25 to 31.

What makes Cabagnot’s twin feats significant is the fact he pulled them off against the conference champions of last season, enabling the Beermen to seize control with a 5-1 (win-loss) slate.

“Alex is a smart player,” said SMB coach Ato Agustin of the man who helped the team annex its streak to four games.

“He can drive, he can shoot that’s why I always tell him, ‘whenever you’re free, take the shot.’”

Cabagnot did it first against Fiesta Conference titlist Alaska, scoring on a floater with only three-tenths of a second left as San Miguel snatched a thrilling 99-97 victory last Wednesday.

The game-winner also highlighted Cabagnot’s first double-double output in the season as he wound up with 10 points and 10 assists.

Three days later, the No. 2 pick in the 2005 Rookie Draft did it again, scoring on a reverse layup in the last second, lifting the Beermen to an 85-83 win over defending champion B-MEG Derby Ace.

In both games, Cabagnot also provided the poise for San Miguel as his game-winners came off what were supposed to be pick-and-roll plays off SMB timeouts inside the last 14 seconds of play.

True, Agustin wanted the ball in his starting playmaker’s hands but there were other options in SMB’s star-laden lineup for the final shot.

The former MVP will never complain about the identical results, however.

“I told him, if he’s checked, dish off and for the receiver to go hard to the basket since they (Llamados) were already in a penalty situation,” Agustin said. “Alex did a good job, just like what he did against Alaska.”