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SERVICES
THE INQUIRER COMPANY
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04
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23
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2024
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SERVICES
THE INQUIRER COMPANY
04
23
2024
AZ Reid. PBA IMAGES
THERE was a bit of an argument between Arizona Reid and San Miguel Beer coach Leo Austria in the game against Phoenix Sunday.
Reid was overheard repeatedly asking, “Why was I taken out?” when David Semerad came in to relieve him early in the fourth quarter and the Beermen barely ahead 101-93.
“AZ is very competitive kasi and he wanted to make sure,” explained Austria. “Pero I also wanted him to have some two minutes’ rest. Napaaga lang. Since lamang naman kami, I thought it was a good opportunity for him to rest.”
Except for that minor incident, and a torrid second quarter by the Fuel Masters, the defending champions had little trouble in notching a 124-113 win that got them off to the good start Austria wanted in the PBA Governors Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Reid notched 41 points and 10 rebounds and his local teammates chipped in their share as some manpower problems hardly bothered SMB in opening up its title-retention campaign on a high note.
“This game is really very important for us because we want to have a good start,” said Austria, whose team opened up the same tournament last year by dropping its first two games.
“We cannot relax, more so now that every team is very competitive. We want to get a lot of wins from the start and gain inclusion among the top eight (advancing to the quarterfinals),” Austria added.
June Mar Fajardo, notwithstanding a recent bout with fever, wound up with 21 points and 11 rebounds, Alex Cabagnot chipped in 20 points and Marcio Lassiter had 12 markers.
The biggest thanks is owed Reid.
The two-time Best Import awardee was at his fieriest during the second half, particularly in the third quarter, as he spearheaded a searing charge that sustained the Beermen’s uprising from as much as an 11-point deficit.
And when the likes of Cabagnot and Fajardo joined in SMB had little trouble surging to a 120-107 lead before going on and formally matching the 1-0 start of idle NLEX, Mahindra and Barangay Ginebra.
The loss was the second in as many games for Phoenix, which dropped a 103-108 decision to Meralco last Friday.
Marcus Simmons had 28 points and 11 rebounds and Norbert Torres finished with a career-high 19 points on top of six boards. Even Cyrus Baguio, acquired only last Wednesday and was not utilized against the Bolts notched 13 markers.
But the Fuel Masters’ other import in Korean Lee Gwan Hee again failed to live up to expectations, finishing with only nine points on 3-for-13 field shooting.
Still, Phoenix was able to raze SMB’s early 42-31 lead and even posted its own 11-point spread at 65-54, no little thanks to a torrid second quarter, before continuing to hold on to a 91-81 cushion.
The Fuel Masters were able to wrest control when they made 13 of 20 shots, including a scorching 5-of-9 from beyond the arc, enroute to posting a 69-64 lead at the half. That output is the most since Talk N text scored 76 against Barako Bull in the 2009 Fiesta Conference.
But Phoenix grew cold just when Reid and the rest of SMB waxed hot.
Lassiter drained a three, Cabagnot two charities and JayR Reyes connected from underneath to make it an 88-93 game before Reid fully went to work.
While Phoenix was either turning the ball over or missing shots, Reid kept scoring from practically every angle for 12 straight points that put SMB up 101-93.
The Beermen won despite the absence of the injured Arwind Santos, Gabby Espinas, Chris Lutz and Yancy de Ocampo.
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