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SERVICES
THE INQUIRER COMPANY
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05
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03
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2024
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SERVICES
THE INQUIRER COMPANY
05
03
2024
SAN Miguel Beer finally got the breakthrough it sorely wanted.
The Beermen now gun for the first of more wins coach Leo Austria fervently wishes for when they clash with NLEX 4:15 p.m. Tuesday in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Cuneta Astrodome.
The two teams are currently tied for 10th and desperate to make it among the top eight teams advancing to the playoffs.
With such an overlying theme, no wonder the protagonists are treating the match like a no-tomorrow game.
“Very important (game) for both teams,” said Austria. “It could make or break our respective bids to make the quarterfinals so I expect it to be a very, very tough game.”
The stakes would not have been as high for both teams had they not opened the mid-season conference in listless fashions. The Road Warriors lost their first three games before crashing the win-column while the Philippine Cup champion Beermen dropped their first four outings before scoring a 102-86 victory over Meralco last Saturday.
That SMB win over the previously unbeaten Bolts gives NLEX coach Boyet Fernandez some cause for concern.
“San Miguel Beer played really well versus the Bolts. Now that they have won, their confidence is really high and we have to come to the game believing that we can win versus strong teams like SMB,” said Fernandez.
Keeping their sharp form is a must for Austria, considering the task in front of them. “I think we have to win at least five of our last six games to make it safely through to the playoffs,” he stated.
“With our win over Meralco medyo nabubuhayan na ng loob. Slowly we’re getting back to our form in the Philippine Cup.”
For their part, the Road Warriors are coming off a sorry 96-98 loss to Talk N Text last Friday, when the Road Warriors battled back from 29 points down, only to see Jayson Castro bury the game-winning jumper at the buzzer.
The way NLEX grittily made a game of it against the Tropang Texters makes Fernandez optimistic and Austria wary.
“I hope we can carry the effort we had in the second half of our game versus Talk N Text, both defensively and offensively,” said Fernandez.
“We cannot underestimate NLEX because they are a fighting team, like what they showed against Talk N Text,” stressed Austria. (NC)
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