Clutch Beermen seal OT win over Elasto Painters
San Miguel Beer overcame a losing situation in regulation play and lived on in overtime, bucking Rain or Shine’s tough stand in a 107-101 victory that guaranteed the Beermen of a playoff crack at a Top Two
finish in the PBA Philippine Cup elimination round at the MOA Arena in Pasay City last night.
The Beermen fought back from a six-point deficit in the last 2:36 of regulations and subsequently smothered the E-Painters in the extra period, chalking up a seventh win in a row and eighth in nine games in all.
June Mar Fajardo, held to four points and five rebounds in the first half, played big at crunch time, finishing with game-highs 25 and 17 rebounds.
To Chris Ross and Alex Cabagnot, however, belong the most important plays that forged the OT.
Rain or Shine failed to recover from its booboos in the closing seconds of regulations and went down to joint second place with GlobalPort at 5-3.
The two teams fourth through a gripping regulation play that went into overtime on a fightback by the Beermen from a six-point deficit in the last 2:36 of play.
It had looked like a won ball game for the E-Painters after a crucial turnover by Ross, giving ROS possession while holding a 96-94 lead with just 7.2 seconds to go.
Ross, however, made up for the error with a steal on Beau Belga leading to a Cabagnot booming long twinner that tied the count at with 1.8 ticks left.
Belga misfired an eight-footer from the left flank at the buzzer, sending the two teams to an extension play.
Cabagnot and Arwind Santos both connected with 3-of-4 three-pointers in the first quarter then RR Garcia took over in the second, firing 13 points including his own 3-of-4 three-point shooting as the Beermen
took the half at 56-49.
From 28-32 down at the start of the second period, the E-Painters made a key run and led by six in an effort led by Jeff Chan and Dexter Maiquez.
But the Beermen regained control at the half even with main man June Mar Fajardo limited to four points and five rebounds in the first 24 minutes of action.
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