Beermen take 2-0 lead after come-from-behind win over Aces

If Alaska is to live up to its moniker as the league’s comeback kids, the time is now.

With Marcio Lassiter leading a bunch of San Miguel Beer players who waxed hot just when the Aces grew cold, the Beermen pulled off a come-from-behind 103-95 victory over Alaska Sunday for a commanding 2-0 lead in their PBA Governors Cup championship series at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Supposed to be just an option in SMB’s final plays, Lassiter instead took the spotlight when he boomed in two triples in the stretch, highlighting the team’s fightback from the depths of a 78-87 deficit in the final seven minutes of play.

Alaska was even given a dose of its own defensive medicine when it was completely shut out in the final 2:30 of play, muffing seven offensive thrusts, making the loss, though not as lopsided as the 78-108 thrashing the Aces received in the best-of-seven series opener last Friday, just as equally stinging.

READ: San Miguel clobbers Alaska by 30 points in PBA finals opener

There’s no big celebration in the SMB camp as of yet, however, as coach Leo Austria knows Alaska has the capability to come back as it has shown in some previous games.

“I think 2-0 is not safe. I am sure there will be a big adjustment on their part come Game 3,” said Austria. “A team needs four wins to get the championship. There’s no reason for us to relax.”

Some two hours after losing the Best Import award to Alaska counterpart Romeo Travis, Arizona Reid notched 37 points, seven assist and five steals while Best Player of the Conference June Mar Fajardo allied 16 points and 14 rebounds. Alex Cabagnot had 13 points, five rebounds and three assists and all had a hand in the stretch which has Lassiter as the biggest star.

READ: Alaska import Romeo Travis beats AZ Reid for Best Import award

With the Aces repeatedly ganging up on either Fajardo or Reid once they got the ball, the Beermen had the former Gilas hotshot at the corner, cocked and loaded.

“In our last four plays we called for Marcio to be at the corner, as an option. It seems they forgot we have Marcio at the corner,” noted Austria.

Alaska coach Alex Compton said they did not forget Lassiter. It’s simply a matter of picking their poison. “Fajardo requires attention,” he stated.

Indeed Lassiter made them pay as his fourth triple of the night made it a 93-95 count. After Reid knotted the count for the 10th time at 95, he found Lassiter again at the same left corner spot for the go-ahead trey that gave him 17 points anchored on 5-for-10 three-point shooting.

“Ipinakita lang niya na he’s the PBA’s top shooter right now,” offered Austria.

Fajardo and Reid then delivered the finishing touches from the stripe.

Travis finished with 23 points to go with 11 rebounds to lead Alaska with Sonny Thoss tallying 14 and 10. Calvin Abueva, Jayvee Casio, Chris Banchero and Cyrus Baguio each scored at least 10 points, but all those went for naught.

So did Alaska’s nine-point leads, which first took the form of an 85-76 count following a 12-4 run opening up the fourth period.

Travis’ charities pegged the 87-78 cushion, but that was quickly razed when Cabagnot made up for some earlier listless plays by draining two triples of his own, the last bringing SMB within 90-93.

Travis’ barreling drive made it 95-90, but then Lassiter took over. (NC)

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