Beermen bludgeon Warriors, bag ABL crown

JAKARTA – It’s just fitting that the most dominant team this season, the one that went on an unbeaten streak for a record 16 games and produced the Most Valuable Player and Best Coach awardees, crowned itself the 2013 Asean Basketball League champions.

The San Miguel Beermen last night put the punctuation mark to a rousing campaign with a masterful 70-55 victory over Indonesia Warriors to wrest the ABL crown for the Philippines on a night the nation celebrated Independence Day back home.

Determined to cut off the lifeline of last year’s tormentor Indonesia for good, the Beermen shifted to high gear in the second half, unleashing a 10-3 blast for a 49-38 tear. Having learned their lesson from the team’s bungled closeout in 2012, a relentless San Miguel continued to turn up the heat and kept the Warriors dazed with big buckets one after another.

By the seventh minute of the fourth, 15 points separated the two teams and the ABL diadem was already for the Beermen’s taking.

At the final buzzer, nothing can describe the joy for the franchise, which erased the stigma of their setback last year at Mahaka Square’s Britama Arena here.

“I’m overwhelmed. This is my first international coaching job and it gives me pride to bring honor to the country,” said top coach Leo Austria, who was an assistant last year when SMB botched a 1-0 lead and bowed to the Warriors in the next two games of the series.

That loss led to an overhaul of the franchise for 2013, with only Finals MVP Chris Banchero, Leo Avenido and Chris Luanzon returning while MVP Asi Taulava, Erik Menk, Jeric Fortuna, Paulo Hubalde, and Val Acuna came in as new recruits.

“Everybody expected us to win since start and I’m glad we lived up to the expectations of the Filipno people,” said Austria.

SMB team broke a slump for Phl teams in the import-flavored regional hoopfest. The defunct Phl Patriots won the inaugural staging four years ago but Thailand and Indonesia took the next two editions.

“I ’m happy to see Asean countries stepping up and playing well, especially Indonesia –  they’re the reason we played hard,” he added.

The Beermen took Games One and Two at home, 75-70 and 66-55, to lay the foundation for the vengeful shutout of the Warriors.