SMB more lethal in sharing ball
MANILA, Philippines — San Miguel Beer coach Jorge Gallent looked at the stats sheet of the Beermen’s quarterfinal-clinching 120-100 romp over NorthPort and zeroed in on the assists.
“31 assists. That’s good,” said Gallent after the unbeaten defending champions stormed to their seventh straight triumph and formalized their Last-8 entry in the PBA Philippine Cup last night at the PhilSports Arena.
For Gallent, team play is what makes this offensive juggernaut SMB team a lot more potent and unbreakable.
“If my players share the ball, we’re a great team. But if we don’t, we’re just a normal team,” explained Gallent.
While exploding with 29, CJ Perez dished out six dimes, backing up Terrence Romeo’s team-high seven. Even superstar slotman June Mar Fajardo contributed on this end, issuing three to go with 12 markers and nine boards, while backup big Rodney Brondial accounted for five assists.
With a well-oiled ball distribution and offense, the Beermen threw their weight around the Batang Pier, who slipped to their fourth straight loss for 3-5 overall.
Gallent’s charges started the carnage with a 19-10 closeout in the first off a 17-17 count. From there, they went on to lead by as many as 39 at 114-75.
Earlier, after an agonizingly long “buffering” period, Converge finally established connectivity and pulled through with a coveted win.
Not rolling over despite already bombing out of the playoffs with losses in their first eight games, the FiberXers put in the hard work to claim the scalp of the Meralco Bolts, 104-99.
The FiberXers, who clawed back from a 12-point deficit, ended not only a winless run in the All-Filipino but also a skid of 12 defeats overall stretching back to the latter stages of the preceding Commissioner’s Cup.
“We didn’t lose hope when the losses were piling up. On the contrary, the players, the entire team became even more motivated,” said coach Aldin Ayo.
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