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SERVICES
THE INQUIRER COMPANY
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04
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27
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2024
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SERVICES
THE INQUIRER COMPANY
04
27
2024
Déjà vu.
As in the last PBA Commissioner’s Cup, San Miguel Beer applied the brakes on Meralco’s 5-0 unbeaten start with the Beermen repulsing the Bolts, 94-86, in a Petron Blaze-sponsored road duel at the Ibalong Centrum of Recreation in Legazpi City Saturday night.
Tyler Wilkerson bucked foul-trouble situation as he delivered 23 of his 27 points in the second half and led the Beermen to the crucial repeat win over the Bolts.
June Mar Fajardo, Chris Ross, Arwind Santos and Marcio Lassiter carried the load early on as the Beermen stayed in the battle even with Wilkerson picking up four early fouls and limited to seven minutes in the first half.
The Beermen simply continued to play solid basketball as they made it three in a row after a conference losing start.
They drew even with the Alaska Milk Aces at 3-1, right behind the Bolts, now at 5-1.
Wilkerson got going in the second half and hit a long trey at the buzzer to punctuate another winning performance.
Going down the drain was Arinze Onuako’s own monster game marked 28 markers and 30 boards.
The Beermen fought the Bolts to a 44-all deadlock in the first half even with Wilkerson going 0-of-4 from the field and 4-of-5 from the stripe.
He had gone 0-of-7 when he finally nailed a field-goal basket, pushing the Beermen upfront at 54-53 in the 6:09 mark of the third quarter.
For Onuako, a setback was a flagrant foul penalty one committed in the closing seconds of the first half, causing him to sit down the early minutes of the third period.
On an ill-advised foul by Ryan Arana in the backcourt with only 1.1 ticks to go, Baser Amer knocked in two charities as the Bolts led, 63-62, going into the final canto.
The two teams engaged in a battle to the fourth quarter, with SMB pulling through on a key run from a 74-all deadlock.
The scores:
SAN MIGUEL 94 – Wilkerson 27, Espinas 13, Cabagnot 10, Lassiter 10, Fajardo 9, Ross 9, Santos 7, Arana 5, Lutz 4, Reyes 0, Semerad 0, De Ocampo 0.
MERALCO 86 – Onuaku 28, David 12, Faundo 8, Newsome 8, Buenafe 6, Dillinger 6, Hodge 4, Hugnatan 4, Alapag 2, Amer 2, Bono 2, Caram 2, Nabong 2.
Quarters: 19-13, 44-44, 62-63, 94-86
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