SMB NIPS ROS IN HOLCIM LIGA NG BAYAN OPENER
Marcio Lassiter scored on a drive with 7.1 seconds left to lift San Miguel Beer to a 78-77 nail-biter over Rain or Shine to kick off the 2014 PBA Holcim Liga ng Bayan Preseason Games Friday at the Angeles University Foundation Sports Arena and Cultural Center.
Lassiter finished with eight points, none bigger than the pair he laid in the final seconds of the game, and five rebounds to give coach Leo Austria his first win as the head coach for the Beermen.
Chris Lutz led San Miguel Beer with 23 points, seven boards, and three assists, while Pampanga’s own Arwind Santos had 13 markers, seven rebounds, four assists, and three blocks in his homecoming.
The Beermen dug themselves from an early 14-point hole, 11-25, and turned a 28-37 deficit near the end of the second to a 42-39 advantage, courtesy of a 14-2 run led by Lutz.
San Miguel even stretched the lead to 11, 65-54, with eight minutes left in the fourth after a Sol Mercado drive, but Chris Tiu, Kevin Alas, Jervy Cruz, and Don Allado all joined forces in tying the game to 74 with 1:42 left to play.
Lutz then got fouled by Jonathan Uyloan and canned his freebies with 31.9 to go, giving the Beermen a slim 76-74 lead. In the following possession, Tiu split his charities after being fouled by Chris Ross, but Uyloan grabbed the offensive board and scored on a putback to give the Elasto Painters a 77-76 advantage with 16.8 ticks remaining.
Then came Lassiter’s marginal basket. (RL)
The Scores:
SAN MIGUEL BEER 78 – Lutz 23, Santos 13, Mercado 11, Lassiter 8, Maierhofer 6, Tubid 6, Kramer 4, Ross 3, Hubalde 2, Chua 2.
RAIN OR SHINE 77 – Tiu 15, Jervy Cruz 11, Uyloan 10, Rodriguez 8, Allado 8, Jericho Cruz 7, Quiñahan 6, Tang 4, Belga 4, Alas 2, Tesoro 2, Gamboa 0, Cole 0, Espinosa 0.
Quarters: 12-14, 32-37, 56-51, 78-77.
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